The court directed the Centre to ensure that all doses are to be fully utilised (File)
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed its concerns on the wastage of COVID-19 vaccine and said that the wastage of vaccine is a ''criminal waste''.
"Wastage of vaccine, which is life-saving, is a criminal waste. We direct the government to look into the situation to permit full utilisation of vaccine," the High Court said while hearing a petition concerning the COVID-19 situation in the national capital.
A Division Bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rekha Palli directed the Centre to ensure that all doses are to be fully utilised.
Responding to a report that stated 44 lakh vaccine doses were wasted out of 10 crores, the High Court said, "We are now losing young ones, why is there wastage of even one dosage?"
The court also asked the Central government to update its vaccine registration app to accommodate those under the category of 18-45 years.
"This update would ensure that all doses are fully utilised. Such flexibility is available in other countries such as the USA," the High Court said.
The court also took note of the various issues relating to the availability of liquid medical oxygen and migrant labourers returning to their native place.
"The centre and the Delhi government have failed miserably on migrant labourers issue last time," the court said.
It also said that the centre or the Drug Controller should not hesitate to invoke their power under the Patent Act since the lives of the people are being lost at a very fast pace and the lives of people should be taken on ''priority'' over everything else.
The bench also suggested the centre to take up the matter with the supplier on the issue relating to the short supply of life-savings drugs.
It also directed the Central government to interact with the manufacturers, patent holders and licensees to ramp up the capacity of reportedly useful drugs like lvermectin, Dexamethasone and Prednisolone.
The Court also raised its concern over lack of medical oxygen in various places and some oxygen lying unutilised.
Delhi government Counsel Rahul Mehra told the Court that a company Inox has stopped supplying oxygen to Delhi and diverted it to another state.
The court has asked the owner/ Managing director of Inox to remain present in the next date of the hearing of the petition.
The court also expressed concern on the rise of coronavirus infection and said that the number of COVID positive patients being reported on a daily basis has exceeded 25,000 in the national capital and 15-20 per cent of them would require hospitalization.
The High Court said that it is evident that the healthcare infrastructure is at the stage of imminent collapse.
In the last 24 hours, as many as 240 deaths -- the highest-ever registered in a single day in the national capital - and 23,686 fresh coronavirus infections were reported. There are currently 76,887 active cases in Delhi.
The national capital has gone into a six-day lockdown amid the deteriorating COVID-19 situation.