Plea in SC seeks independent enquiry into Nashik oxygen leak incident

Oxygen leak incident in a Nashik hospital

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an independent judicial enquiry into the oxygen leak incident in a Nashik hospital that killed 22 patients.

The PIL filed by NGO ''Save Them India Foundation'' has sought setting up of three-member Enquiry Commission under the chairmanship of a retired apex court judge to probe the incident.

The plea, filed through advocate Vishal Tiwari, has also sought directions to initiate policies and guidelines for the channelized, administered distribution of medical equipment and to set up a highly technical committee for the monitor of medical equipment crisis.

Twenty-two COVID-19 patients, who were either on ventilator or oxygen support, suffocated to death on Wednesday when their oxygen supply stopped suddenly because of a malfunction in the main storage at a civic-run hospital at Nashik in Maharashtra.

The incident occurred in the afternoon at Dr Zakir Husain Hospital in Dwarka area of the city.

"The country is witnessing deficiency pertaining to the medical equipment along with failed distribution policy leading to greater consequences and on the other hand, negligent action of the hospital authorities leading to leakage of oxygen and death of COVID patients.

"Such situation has led to the violation of fundamental rights of the citizens of this country prima facie the right to health care right to life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the plea said.

The plea has also sought registration of a FIR in the matter under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 304A (Causing death by negligence) and setting up of a highly technical committee for the monitoring of the policies and distributions pertaining to the medical equipment supply.

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