The Supreme Court has set up a twelve-member National Task Force (NTF) to facilitate a public health response to covid-19 based on scientific and specialized domain knowledge.
Issuing the order, a bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah said this task force would be at liberty to draw upon the human resources of the Union government for consultation and information. It would also be free to formulate its modalities and procedure for working.
The court-appointed task force will also provide a public health response based on a scientific approach on issues of essential drugs, manpower, and medical care to rural areas.
It will consist of 10 doctors including Dr. Bhabatosh Biswas, former Vice-Chancellor of the West Bengal University of Health Sciences, and Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairperson and Managing Director of Gurgaon’s Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute and the convener of the task force will be the cabinet secretary to the Centre
The court mentioned that it’s necessary that an “effective and transparent mechanism” is set up to ensure allocating medical oxygen to all states and UTs during the pandemic, and informed that the Centre has agreed to set up the same.
Additionally, the Supreme Court also allowed an audit of medical oxygen to examine the supply and efficacy of distribution of oxygen by the government of the national capital territory of Delhi (GNCTD).
Dr. Randeep Guleria, Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja, and one IAS officer each from the Centre and Delhi government, will comprise the audit group for Delhi.
