Bombay High Court on Thursday said it was “imperative” for all private hospitals in Maharashtra to have their own oxygen plants to deal with the increasing cases of Covid-19.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni said: “Now that a third wave is likely, why must private hospitals not be made to have their own oxygen plants? At least to meet their own demands for active consumption? After all, they charge all patients,” the bench said.

The court referred to a newspaper report from Thursday morning, according to which a private hospital in Sangli had set up its own oxygen supply to tackle the increasing cases of Covid-19.

“If a hospital in Sangli can do so, why can’t private hospitals in places such as Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad set up their own oxygen plants?” it asked.