SC sets up 12-member National Task Force for oxygen distribution across country
The 12-member task force will also review and suggest measures to ensure availability of essential drugs and medicines.
FollowNew Delhi: The Supreme Court on Saturday set up a National Task Force which will assess the availability and distribution of medical oxygen across the country.
"The 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," said the apex court.
The task force has been mandated to work on assessing and making recommendations for the entire country based on the need for, availability and distribution of medical oxygen and formulating and devising the methodology for the allocation of medical oxygen to the States and UTs on a scientific, rational and equitable basis.
The National Task Force shall consist of the following members:
(i) Dr Bhabatosh Biswas, Former Vice Chancellor, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata;
(ii) Dr Devender Singh Rana, Chairperson, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi;
(iii) Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson and Executive Director, Narayana Healthcare, Bengaluru;
(iv) Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu;
(v) Dr JV Peter, Director, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu;
(vi) Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairperson and Managing Director, Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute, Gurugram;
(vii) Dr Rahul Pandit, Director, Critical Care Medicine and ICU, Fortis Hospital, Mulund (Mumbai, Maharashtra) and Kalyan (Maharashtra);
(viii) Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairman & Head, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi; 5 “Task Force”
(ix) Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin, Senior Professor and Head of Department of Hepatology, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS), Delhi;
(x) Dr Zarir F Udwadia, Consultant Chest Physician, Hinduja Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital and Parsee General Hospital, Mumbai;
(xi) Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (ex officio member); and
(xii) 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 necessary.
The panel will provide inputs, based on members' scientific and specialised knowledge, to meet others challenges to have been raised by the pandemic.
The Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is among the 12 members while the Convenor of the National Task Force will be the Cabinet Secretary to the Centre.
