SC’s task force to streamline oxygen supply

12-member team of medical experts to fix allocation methodology

New Delhi, May 8: The Supreme Court has 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.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said that the Union Cabinet Secretary will be the convener of the National Task Force and may nominate an officer not below the rank of additional secretary to depute for him, when necessary.

It said in its order passed on May 6 uploaded on Saturday that the secretary of the Union ministry of health and family welfare will be ex-officio member of the task force. The bench said that other members will include Bhabatosh Biswas, former vicechancellor, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata; Devender Singh Rana, chairperson of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi; Devi Prasad Shetty, chairperson and executive director, Narayana Healthcare, Bengaluru; Dr Gagandeep Kang, professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu; and J.V. Peter, director, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

The remaining five members are Dr Naresh Trehan, chairperson and MD, Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute, Gurugram; Rahul Pandit, director, critical care medicine and ICU, Fortis Hospital, Mulund (Mumbai) and Kalyan (Maharashtra); and Dr

Saumitra Rawat, chairman & head, department of surgical gastroenterology and liver transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi; Shiv Kumar Sarin of Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS), Delhi; and Zarir F Udwadia of Hinduja Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital Mumbai.

The top court said, “We expect that leading experts in India shall associate with the force as members and resource persons as it will facilitate a meeting of minds and the formulation of scientific strategies to deal with an unprecedented human crisis.”

“The establishment of this force will enable the decision makers to have inputs that go beyond finding ad hoc solutions to the present problems. The likely future course of the pandemic must be taken into contemplation at the present time,” the bench said.

It added that this will ensure that projected future requirements can be scientifically mapped in the present and may be modulated in the light of experiences gained.