New Delhi: The Supreme Court has constituted a 12-member National Task Force of top medical professionals to formulate a method for allocation of oxygen to states and union areas for conserving lives of COVID-19 clients and to assist in a public health reaction to the pandemic.The top court called a sub-group for performing the audit workout for Delhi's health infrastructure and allotment of oxygen and stated that it will consists of Randeep Guleria of AIIMS, Sandeep Budhiraja of Max Health care and 2 IAS officers not listed below the rank of Joint Secretary-- one each from the Centre and the Delhi government.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and M R Shah stated that the Union Cabinet Secretary will be the convenor of the national task force and may choose an officer not below the rank of Extra Secretary to depute for him, when necessary.The leading court stated in its order handed down May 6 published on Saturday that the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Household Welfare will be ex-officio member of the job force.The bench said that other members of the job force will consist of Bhabatosh Biswas, previous Vice Chancellor, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata; Devender Singh Rana, Chairperson, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Medical Facility, Delhi; Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson and Executive Director, Narayana Healthcare, Bengaluru; Gagandeep Kang, Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu; and JV Peter, Director, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu.
The remaining 5 members are Naresh Trehan, Chairperson and Managing Director, Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute, Gurugram; Rahul Pandit, Director, Crucial Care Medication and ICU, Fortis Medical Facility, Mulund (Mumbai, Maharashtra) and Kalyan (Maharashtra); and Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairman - & Head, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Healthcare Facility, Delhi; Shiv Kumar Sarin of Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS), Delhi; and Zarir F Udwadia of Hinduja Hospital, Breach Candy Healthcare facility Mumbai.The leading court stated, We expect that the prominent specialists in the country shall connect with the work of the Job Force both as members and resource persons as this will help with a conference of minds and the solution of scientific methods to handle an unprecedented human crisis.
The establishment of this Task Force will allow the decision makers to have inputs which go beyond finding ad-hoc services to the present issues.
The likely future course of the pandemic must be taken into reflection at today time, the bench said.It added that this will ensure that predicted future requirements can be clinically mapped in the present and might be regulated in the light of experiences gained.
The facility of the Job Force will offer the Union Government with inputs and strategies for satisfying the challenges of the pandemic on a transparent and professional basis, in today and in future, the bench said.
The top court made 12-point terms of reference that include evaluating and making suggestions for the entire nation based upon the need for, availability and circulation of medical oxygen and to assist in auditing by sub-groups within each State and UT.It said that the sub-groups will do investigate to determine whether the materials designated by the Centre reach the concerned State/UT, the efficacy of the distribution networks in dispersing products suggested for hospitals, healthcare organizations and others and whether the available stocks are being distributed on the basis of a reliable, transparent and professional mechanism.
The top court said that the Job Force will constitute sub-groups/committees of each State/UT for auditing and it will comprise of an officer of the State/UT Government not below the rank of Secretary to the State Federal government, an officer of the Centre not below the rank of Additional/Joint Secretary and 2 medical doctors in the State/UT concerned consisting of a minimum of one with administrative experience of handling the medical facilities of a medical facility and a representative from the Petroleum and Explosives Security Organisation (PESO).
The bench clarified that the function of the audit is not to scrutinise the decisions made in excellent faith by physicians while treating their patients however to ensure responsibility in regard of the supplies of oxygen provided to every State/UT.
The function is to ensure that the products which have actually been assigned are reaching their destination; that they are being provided through the circulation network to the healthcare facilities or, as the case might be, the end users efficiently and on a transparent basis; and to identify traffic jams or problems in regard to the utilisation of oxygen, the bench said on audit by sub-groups.
It said that the Centre will continue with the present practice of making allocations of oxygen up until the Task Force has actually submitted its recommendations in regard to proposed techniques.
The Union Government shall on receipt of the recommendations of the Job Force take an appropriate decision in regard to the allowance of oxygen and on all other recommendations.The bench stated that the Job Force shall also send its suggestions from time to time to this Court and requested it to begin work immediately, using up the pushing concern of figuring out the modalities for oxygen expeditiously within a week.
The period of the Job Force will be six months at first, it said.