The High Court was hearing a PIL filed by Naresh Maimom against Union of India and others regarding the concern over Oxygen in the state in view of the COVID crisis in the state
TFM Desk
Manipur High Court has directed the state government to take steps to update the public about the status of Oxygen in the state through newspapers daily.
During the hearing of a PIL filed by Naresh Maimom against Union of India and others on Tuesday, Manipur advocate general N Kumarjit informed court that as on date, no machinery was in place to monitor as to how the oxygen supplies made to hospitals are being utilised.
The court observed that as the state government has already constituted a State Oxygen Management Team, it may be directed to monitor and track the use of oxygen supplies made to each individual hospital.
“This would ensure that needy patients are catered to and supplied oxygen, irrespective of their pull and status. The team would also be in a position to bring transparency to the entire exercise through Updates in the newspapers,” it said.
The court further observed that such ‘Updates’ would also shed light on the extent of the demand raised by each hospital in the state and the supply made, subject to availability of oxygen, on a day-to-day basis. It directed the government of Manipur to take steps in this regard accordingly.
The High Court also appreciated that the state government adopted the interim measure of constituting a team to deal with the current demand and the available supply of oxygen for COVID patients.
“Further, the practice of bringing out “Updates” in the newspapers would lend transparency to the entire process apart from keeping the public at large informed of the steps being taken by the government. These measures therefore signify welcome steps by the government in the right direction”.
The highest court of the state further observed that as there is no machinery as on date to monitor the treatment of patients inside a hospital, be it government-owned or private, it would be appropriate that the government take necessary steps in that regard also.
The Advocate General assured that the suggestion from the court would be acted upon and a Grievance Redressal Cell would be constituted in each and every hospital, wherein a member or representative of a local civil society organization would be involved. The Cell would then be in a position to address individual complaints, if any, against that hospital. The needful in this regard shall be done by the next date of hearing, which is on May 27, the court directed.
As the State Oxygen Management Team constituted by the government would have to determine the supplies of oxygen to be made, pending constitution of a State-level committee through the National Task Force, the court said that it would be for each hospital concerned, including the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, to place its current demand before the said team, based on the number of patients admitted in that hospital who need oxygen. The team shall thereupon allocate the oxygen available to all the hospitals equitably, it directed.
Stating that the construction of oxygen plants at Churachandpur and Thoubal is still underway and they have not yet been commissioned, Kumarjit assured to provide a firm date for the commissioning of these plants and also the details of other plants which are in the pipeline for augmenting oxygen supplies.
ASG S. Suresh sought time to go through the replies filed by the other respondents and thereafter file a reply. The Manipur High Court observed that the Union of India shall take into account the contents of the reply filed by the RIMS, Imphal, with regard to oxygen supplies, as the said Institute, though autonomous, is under its control.
The Union of India shall also address the various aspects raised by the other respondents in their replies, including adequate financial assistance to Manipur to meet the crisis occasioned by the second wave of this pandemic and the rising number of serious cases, requiring enhanced oxygen supplies, it added.