NATIONAL TASK FORCE TO STREAMLINE OXYGEN ALLOCATION

NATIONAL TASK FORCE TO STREAMLINE OXYGEN ALLOCATION

Subject : Governance

Context : The Supreme Court constituted a 12-member task force to assess availability and distribution of medical oxygen – on scientific, rational and equitable basis – across the country.

Concept :

• The tenure of the task force shall be six months initially.
• The 12-member task force comprises Dr Bhabatosh Biswas, Dr Devender Singh Rana, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Dr Gagandeep Kang, Dr JV Peter; Dr Naresh Trehan, Dr Rahul Pandit, Dr Saumitra Rawat, Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin, Dr Zarir F Udwadia, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (ex officio member).
• Cabinet Secretary to the Union Government shall be the Convenor of the national task force.
• The task force will also make recommendations on augmenting the available supplies of oxygen, facilitate audits to determine whether the supplies allocated by the Union Government reach the State/UT concerned.
• It will also review and suggest measures necessary for ensuring the availability of essential drugs and medicines; plan and adopt remedial measures for ensuring preparedness to meet present and future emergencies which may arise during the pandemic.
• To promote evidence based research to enhance effective responses to the pandemic and facilitate the sharing of best practices across the nation to promote knowledge about the management of the pandemic and treatment of cases.
• The SC also asked the Union and state governments, ministrie ..ministries, agencies and departments to “provide complete and real time data for facilitating the work of the task force “.