New Delhi: During the second wave of Corona, most of the states of the country are facing heavy shortage of oxygen and essential medicines, due to which the hearings are going on in the High Courts and Supreme Court of different states. In this regard, the Supreme Court has on Saturday constituted a 12-member National Task Force, which will assess and recommend the availability and supply of medical oxygen and essential drugs in states and union territories.
This order has been given by a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud. The court has stated that these task forces will provide input and strategy to meet the challenges of the Corona epidemic on a transparent and professional basis, as well as devise a methodology for supplying oxygen to states on a scientific, rational and equitable basis. The 10 members involved in it will be well-known doctors of the country and two members will be representatives of the government.
The task force will consist of the following members:
(1) Former Vice Chancellor of West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Dr. Bhabatosh Biswas
(2) Dr. Devendra Singh Rana, Chairman, Board of Management at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi
(3) Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, President and Executive Director of Narayana Healthcare
(4) Professor Dr. Gagandeep Kang of Christian Medical College, Vellore in Tamil Nadu
(5) Dr. JV Peter, Director, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu
(6) Dr. Naresh Trehan, President and Management Director of Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute
(7) Dr. Rahul Pandit, Director of Critical Care Medicine and ICU at Fortis Hospital, Mulund (Mumbai, Maharashtra) and Kalyan (Maharashtra)
(8) Dr. Soumitra Rawat, Chairman, Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation Department, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi
(9) Dr. Shiv Kumar Sarin, Senior Professor at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS) and Director of the Department of Hepatology
(10) Dr. Zarir F. Udwadia, Consultant Chest Physician at Hinduja Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital and Parsi General Hospital, Mumbai
(11) Secretary to the Government of India (ex-officio member) in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(12) Cabinet Secretary of the Central Government, who along with being a member of the National Task Force, will also be the convenor. If necessary, the Cabinet Secretary can appoint an aide, however, he will not be able to nominate an officer below the rank of Additional Secretary.
