9-key points from the observations by Delhi High Court decision on essential drugs, dearth of oxygen and vaccine:
- Centre to review the allocation of oxygen on a dynamic basis.
- Hospital that are running out of their supplies of oxygen, Centre to make the availability.
- Notice of contempt to M/s INOX for non-compliance with this Court’s Order.
- Medical Machines/Equipment’s, medicines, etc. that are imported should be handled and cleared at top priority.
- Centre and the ICMR, to review the form in which the information is required to be uploaded by the testing agencies, to reduce their burden and wastage of time, as this appears to be acting as a bottleneck in the matter of preparation of reports.
- Central Government & its agencies to issue necessary directions to all the licensee and Government should undertake to check on a regular basis to unearth all such cases of hoarding which are leading to scarcity of drugs for needy patients | Strict Penal Action.
- Centre to review the distribution of Remedesivir Drug daily.
- Manufacturers to be encouraged so as to ramp up their production on a war footing of all essential medications for COVID treatment.
- Criminal Waste: If even a single dose of vaccine is wasted, it would amount to criminal waste. | Government to devise ways for registering volunteers below the age of 45 and above the age of 18 to take residual doses of vaccine.
[Rakesh Malhotra v. GNCTD, 2021 SCC OnLine Del 1811, decided on 20-04-2021]