Chennai, May 10: The Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy on Monday said the Central and State Governments, rather than being under-prepared and later rue for not having put in place additional resources, court be “over-prepared”, to tackle the crisis, if there is a third wave of Covid-19.
Health experts have indicated that the world could see the third wave of the infection after second wave recedes.
"The Governments must prepare for the worst and hope that the worst does not hit us,” said the judges explaining the purpose of the need for being over-prepared.
During the course of the hearing of a suo motu proceedings on the pandemic’s handling, Tamil Nadu Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram pointed out that that the Supreme Court had constituted a National Task Force to allot oxygen, Covid-19 vaccines, and drugs to all States and union territories on an equitable basis.
Responding the court said, “It is for the National Task Force to come up with plans and allocations. However, till such time that the National Task Force announces the allocations in consultation with local officials, it is the Union which is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the continuous supply of oxygen, vaccines, and drugs to the States and Union Territories.”
The judges held that the State and the Centre should find ways of effective supply of oxygen to the western and southern districts, which were closer to Kerala, since supply from Sriperumbudur in north Tamil Nadu or elsewhere might be logistically difficult.
The Advocate General submitted that Tamil Nadu may actually need 800 tonnes of oxygen supply per day if the increase in Covid-19 cases remains the same over the next fortnight. The judges pointed out that is why it was necessary “to think of Plan B” too.
