Coronavirus: Ensure equal distribution of vaccines: Madras HC

The Madras High Court on Friday impressed upon the Centre the necessity for making certain equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, medication and oxygen to all of the States and Union Territories within the nation.

The court docket hoped that the Centre would inform the Tamil Nadu authorities and the Puducherry administration, no less than by Monday, on the quantity of vaccine doses that will be allotted to them for the common grownup inoculation drive, set to start from Saturday.

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the statement after Additional Solicitor General R. Sankaranarayanan sought time to submit the quantity of vaccine doses and Remdesivir vials that had been allotted by the Centre to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Advocate-General Vijay Narayan stated although the State authorities had ordered 2.5 lakh vials of Remedesivir, solely 59,000 had been allotted thus far.

“Due to the inadequate allotment, the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation is drawing from its own reserve stocks and continuing the supply of the drug for the benefit of patients admitted to private hospitals, at the cost price of ₹1,568 a vial, at a counter established on the campus of the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. So far, 8,750 vials have been provided to the needy,” the A-G stated, responding to a suo motu public curiosity litigation petition taken up by the court docket.

Pointing out that the federal government couldn’t proceed promoting its reserve medication, meant for sufferers in authorities hospitals to these in non-public services for lengthy, the A-G stated the federal government had already written to the Centre, looking for the augmentation of provides. As and when the State receives extra vials, it’ll take into account establishing related counters in different main cities, the court docket was instructed.

State’s oxygen wants

Further, stating that the oxygen requirement within the State had crossed 385 tonnes a day, the A-G stated the requirement was being met by absolutely utilising the manufacturing capability within the State and by drawing the gasoline from Puducherry.

The allotment of 280 tonnes to Tamil Nadu beneath the nationwide oxygen plan was disproportionately low in comparison with the State’s lively case load and, subsequently, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had opposed the diversion of oxygen to different States, he added.

It was additionally delivered to the discover of the court docket that 280 authorities hospitals and 463 non-public services had been offering COVID-19 therapy within the State.

Of the 1.72 lakh beds obtainable in all of the 743 hospitals and COVID-19 care centres, 1.01 lakh had been demarcated for COVID-19 sufferers, the A-G stated. Besides 36,223 oxygen beds, 7,405 ICU beds and 6,517 ventilators had been obtainable for such sufferers, he added.

Considering the demand, 12,527 oxygen beds had been being added in 38 districts, and of these, 576 had been put to make use of. Further, 3,676 beds had been anticipated to be prepared by Friday, and the remaining by May 7, the A-G stated, referring to a report filed by Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan. After listening to him, the judges adjourned the case to Wednesday for acquiring particulars from the Centre.