Why are we calling it COVID-19 wave, it's actually tsunami, says Delhi HC on rising cases

File Photo (Reuters)

New Delhi: Raising concern over the rising COVID-19 cases, the Delhi High Court on Saturday (April 24, 2021) said that it is not a coronavirus wave but actually a 'tsunami'.

The Delhi High Court also stated that if any official at the central, state or local administration was obstructing in the picking up or supply of oxygen, then it would 'hang' that person.

The court told the Delhi government to give it one instance of who was obstructing the oxygen supply and said 'we will hang that man'.

"We will not spare anyone," the Delhi HC bench added.

The observation by a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli came during a hearing of a plea by Maharaja Agrasen Hospital over shortage of oxygen for seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

The Delhi HC also questioned the Centre over its supply of 480 metric tonnes of oxygen to Delhi.

"You (Centre) had assured us (on April 21) that 480 MT per day will reach Delhi. Tell us when will it come? The 480 MT per day is still to see the light of the day," the court said.

It also asked the Centre about the preparedness to deal with the peak of the second COVID-19 wave expected in May. The High Court told the Centre and the Delhi government to reduce the COVID-19 mortality rate.

The hearing comes in the backdrop of several hospitals in the national capital complaining of a shortage of oxygen supply. Most recently being the Jaipur Golden Hospital where at least twenty critically ill patients died overnight amid a serious oxygen crisis.

"The oxygen pressure has dipped as we are running out of stock," Dr DK Baluja, the medical director of Jaipur Golden Hospital, was quoted as saying by PTI news agency. Baluja added that the hospital has over 200 patients and they had only half an hour of oxygen was left at 10:45 am. 

Meanwhile, India recorded 3.46 lakh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours that took the country's total caseload to 1.66 crores, the data by the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday morning.

India, the second-worst coronavirus-hit country in the world, reported 3,46,786 new infections. India's April 24 COVID-19 figures surpassed its previous highest single-day rise in the world - 3,32,730 cases - recorded on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies)