SC forms National Task Force to streamline oxygen allocation

The Supreme Court on Saturday set up a 12member National Task Force NTF to facilitate public health response to Covid19 including streamlining of oxygen distribution in the country based on scientific and specialised domain knowledge A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah said A consensus has emerged that there is a need to ensure that the allotments of medical oxygen to the states and UTs are made on a scientific rational and equitable basis At the same time it must allow for flexibility to meet unforeseen demands due to emergencies which may arise within the allocated territoriesThe top court said It is necessary that an effective and transparent mechanism is set up within the Union Government for the purpose of allocating medical oxygen to all states and UTs for being used during the Covid19 pandemicThe Union Government has agreed to set up a National Task Force to streamline the process This Task Force would be tasked inter alia with formulating a methodology for the scientific allocation of oxygen to the states and UTsThe SC bench said the establishment of this task force will enable the decision makers to have inputs which go beyond finding adhoc solutions to the present problemsThe likely future course of the pandemic must be taken into contemplation at the present time This will ensure that projected future requirements can be scientifically mapped in the present and may be modulated in the light of experiences gained said the benchThe rationale for constituting a task force at a national level is to facilitate a public health response to the pandemic based on scientific and specialised domain knowledge We expect that the leading experts in the country shall associate with the work of the task force both as members and resource persons the top court noted in its orderThe bench added The Union Government has made its suggestions on the possible names for inclusion in the composition of the task force while leaving its final composition to the court The National Task Force which is being constituted in pursuance of the above suggestion shall consist of the following membersi Dr Bhabatosh Biswas Former Vice Chancellor West Bengal University of Health Sciences Kolkataii Dr Devender Singh Rana Chairperson Board of Management Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Delhiiii Dr Devi Prasad Shetty Chairperson and Executive Director Narayana Healthcare Bengaluruiv Dr Gagandeep Kang Professor Christian Medical College Vellore Tamil Naduv Dr JV Peter Director Christian Medical College Vellore Tamil Naduvi Dr Naresh Trehan Chairperson and Managing Director Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute Gurugramvii Dr Rahul Pandit Director Critical Care Medicine and ICU Fortis Hospital Mulund Mumbai and Kalyan Maharashtraviii Dr Saumitra Rawat Chairman amp Head Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Delhiix Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin Senior Professor and Head of Department of Hepatology Director Institute of Liver and Biliary Science ILBS Delhix Dr Zarir F Udwadia Consultant Chest Physician Hinduja Hospital Breach Candy Hospital and Parsee General Hospital Mumbaixi Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India ex officio memberxii The Convenor of the National Task Force who shall also be a member will be the Cabinet Secretary to the Union Government The Cabinet Secretary may nominate an officer not below the rank of Additional Secretary to depute for him when necessaryThe top court said the task force is at liberty to draw upon the human resources of the Union Government for consultation and information including the following i A member of Niti Aayog to be nominated by the ViceChairperson ii Secretary Ministry of Human Affairs iii Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade iv Secretary Ministry of Road Transport and Highways v Director All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi vi Director General Indian Council of Medical Research New Delhi vii Director General of Health Services viii Director General National Informatics Centre and ix Head Centre for Development of Advanced Computing CDACThe establishment of this task force will enable the decision makers to have inputs which go beyond finding adhoc solutions to the present problems The likely future course of the pandemic must be taken into contemplation at the present time the top court added