New Delhi: Stating that hospitals reeling under lack of oxygen supply during the second Covid wave have "certainly left a lesson to be learnt" and that sufficient infrastructure should be in place to prevent a similar situation, the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the setting up of pressure swing absorption (PSA) oxygen plants in nursing homes and hospitals comprising of 100 beds and more, with almost double their normal capacity, adding that it is "high time" steps should be taken in this regard.
Hospital and nursing homes with 50 beds or less were also directed to set up PSA plants with sufficient capacity to meet their needs.
A division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet SIngh made this direction and ordered the Amicus Curiae in the matter, senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao, to convene a meeting between Chairpersons of Delhi Municipal Corporations and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) along with representatives of large hospitals and associations in Delhi in order to set up such plants.
The court noted in its order: "The bitter experience that everyone in the NCT of Delhi has had with huge shortage of medical oxygen has certainly left a lesson to be learnt particularly by hospitals and nursing homes operating in Delhi".
The court said that it was high time that at least the large hospitals having capacity of 100 beds or more should install their own plants which should have the capacity of at least two times of the normal requirement.
Hospitals and nursing homes with a bed capacity of 50 or less were also directed to install such PSA plants with oxygen storage sufficient enough to deal with their regular requirement. The Principal Secretary (Health) of Delhi government was directed to look into this aspect and file a status report in this regard within a week.
The bench noted that demand for oxygen during the second Covid wave went up by five times as compared to the normal requirement and hence "captive infrastructure" should be installed by hospitals in order to reduce usage of outside oxygen sources when such surge arises again
The court further said, "Considering the fact that pandemic is once in a century event and, hopefully, we will see the end of it sooner than later, we are of the view that the large hospitals and nursing homes with 100 beds or more should install PSA plants which should have twice the capacity than their normal requirement".
Moreover, the bench directed the Municipal Corporations and DDA to relax their rules as these PSA plants will be installed in parking spaces attached to such hospitals.
Chairman of Max Healthcare, Dr. Abhay Soi, also informed the court that hospitals are willing to install PSA plants in their parking areas as the same is the only area available for the purpose. Soi further told the court that multi-level parking lots should be allowed as spaces to set up such plants.
The bench was apprised of a status report filed by the Central government which laid out details regarding installation of PSA plants with the report claiming that as many as 14 such plants have been installed with some being installed through foreign aid.
Advocate Nidhi Mohan Parashar, on behalf of the Central government, informed the court that PSA plants installed through foreign aid have different timelines in comparison to the ones set up by the ministry.
While appointing nodal officers for setting up of such PSA plants, the court directed that both Delhi and Central government should place on record the information of the officer who will supervise the installation while a status report has to be filed by next Thursday.