Interim Report, Oxygen Needs Change Daily: AIIMS Chief On Delhi Audit By SC Panel

The Supreme Court-constituted sub-group to audit oxygen consumption in hospitals in the national capital during the second wave said the Delhi government "exaggerated" the consumption of oxygen.

AIIMS Chief Dr Randeep Guleria

New Delhi: Amid a fresh row between Centre and Delhi government over audit report submitted by a Supreme Court-appointed panel in connection with the shortage of medical oxygen during the second wave of Coronavirus, Director of AIIMS (New Delhi) Dr Randeep Guleria has said that it is an interim report and oxygen requirements are dynamic and change from day-to-day. 

"It is an interim report. The oxygen needs are dynamic and change from day to day. The matter is subjudice," AIIMS chief said, referring to the report where five-member sub group headed by Guleria said that Delhi's oxygen needs were "exaggerated" by four times during the second Covid wave. 

The Supreme Court-constituted sub-group to audit oxygen consumption in hospitals in the national capital during the second wave said the Delhi government "exaggerated" the consumption of oxygen and made a claim of 1,140 MT, four times higher than the formula for bed capacity requirement of 289 MT.

Guleria however have a clarification saying that it would not be correct to say that Delhi "exaggerated" its oxygen requirement. Delhi oxygen audit is an interim report. We should wait for the final report. The AIIMS chief further stressed that Supreme Court's statement on the interim report is awaited while there are factors like undercounting of active cases to be considered.

Citing the report, BJP accused Delhi Chief Minister and AAP government of "criminal negligence" during second wave of deadly Covid-19. 

In response to the accusations, the ruling AAP claimed that the report was cooked up. On Saturday, CM Kejriwal took a dig at BJP saying "May we work now if your fight over oxygen is finished?" He asked the centre to work together in making a system so that no one faces shortage of oxygen in the third wave, which experts believe is 'inevitable'. 

On May 8, the Supreme Court formed a 12-member task force to improve the oxygen distribution system in the country. A separate sub-group was formed for Delhi which includes AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, Max Healthcare's Sandeep Budhiraja along with senior IAS officers from the Centre and Delhi each.