‘Consider allowing U’khand to use O2 produced in state’

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court directed the Centre on Monday to consider allowing Uttarakhand to use the medical oxygen generated in the state instead of sending part of it to other states.

Dushyant Mainali, one of the petitioners, said the HC gave the direction after health secretary Amit Negi told the court that the Centre allots oxygen quota to the state and they have to send part of the generated oxygen to Delhi and procure some from other places like Jamshedpur.

“He (Negi) apprised the court that oxygen generated in the state from three plants is enough for the state’s own consumption, but they have to follow the system developed by the Centre in this regard,” Mainali said.

“The court maintained that oxygen should be sent to other states only when its oxygen requirement is met,” he said.

Mukesh Rai, assistant director, health department, said three oxygen plants in the state generate 310 metric tonnes of oxygen. “Under Central allocation system, we were allocated 123 metric tonnes, which has been now increased to 183 MT. Where the rest of the oxygen generated has to be sent is decided by the Centre,” he said.

“We were asked to get 60 metric tonnes from plants in Jharkhand and West Bengal, which we are unable to do right now. So we are managing through 123 MT and 5 MT generated by small hospital plants.”

Chief secretary Om Prakash said the state needs 165.18 metric tonnes of oxygen, while Centre has allotted 183 metric tonnes to the state. “Right now, given our bed capacity, we need 130 metric tonnes of oxygen daily while we get 126 metric tonne. Also, the oxygen plants in the hospitals are providing us with 5 metric tonnes of oxygen daily. More plants in hospital are being set up which will provide us 4 metric tonnes of oxygen in the coming days,” he said.

Health secretary Negi said the number of oxygen-supported beds in the state has increased from 673 in March 2020 to 5,500 now and oxygen cylinders from 1,193 in March 2020 to 9,900. He added that number of oxygen concentrators has increased from 275 in March 2020 to 1,293.

HC also directed the state government to increase the Covid testing labs and turn colleges into Covid care centres as they have been closed due to the pandemic. HC also directed the state government to procure mobile testing vans by invoking the Disaster Management Act and fasttrack the same without following the tendering process.

HC gave directions while hearing a bunch of PILs. The PILs have been filed by Sachdanand Dabral, Dushyant Mainali, Anu Pant and Rajendra Arya on issues related to the fight against the pandemic in the state.

Mainali said the HC also questioned the state health secretary as to why standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the Char Dham yatra were not submitted before the court.