Oxygen crisis during COVID second wave: PIL in SC seeks high-level inquiry

It said that the inquiry would identify negligence on the part of officials, if any, that had led to the shortage of medical oxygen supply.

The plea has arrayed the Centre and others, including the National Disaster Management Authority and health departments of several states, as respondents.

"This court through its various judgements has logically extended the interpretation of the right to life to include the right to health.

"Therefore, it is the fundamental duty of the State to care for the health of the public at large," the petitioner has said in his plea filed through advocate Rajeev Kumar Dubey.

It has also referred to media reports about the death of COVID-19 patients allegedly due to the shortage of medical oxygen.

The plea said medical oxygen is an essential and critical life-saving drug and its shortage had resulted in several untimely deaths in the country during the second wave of the pandemic.

In May this year, the apex court, which hearing a separate matter, had constituted a 12-member National Task Force of top medical experts to formulate a methodology for allocation of oxygen to states and union territories for saving lives of COVID-19 patients and to facilitate a public health response to the pandemic. 

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