An appeal was filed in the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking a direction to the Centre to ensure that money from the PM CARES Fund is used to import vaccines, oxygen and other equipment so that citizens get free medical aid during the pandemic.
The following are the directions sought:
⚫ Utilise PM CARES Fund for immediate import of vaccines, oxygen plants and generators, and other equipment and their installation in the 738 district hospitals in the country.
⚫ Exempt import duty on equipment relating to medical oxygen generation for indefinite period.
⚫ Direct all states and Union Territories to ensure all private and charitable hospitals procure adequate medical equipment to see no more lives are lost.
⚫ Ask states and Union Territories to forthwith set up crematoriums for disposing of bodies in a dignified manner.
⚫ Ensure MPs and MLAs spend area development funds on Covid relief.
⚫ Ask Centre and states to prepare a national plan under the Disaster Management Act to tackle the pandemic.
⚫ Pay compensation to victims.
