Indian court: COVID-19 deaths involved lack of medical oxygen supplies were no less than genocide”

A court in India ruled that the death of COVID 19 patients due to lack of medical oxygen was “criminal act and not less than genocide”. 　

On Tuesday, Allahabad High Court of Uttar Pradesh province made the observation during a hearing of a Public Interest Litigation on COVID-19 situation that involved shortage of oxygen at medical institutions, according to NDTV. Unlike civil and criminal litigations, Public Interest Litigations do not require complex legal processes and the trial commences based on letters or reports by citizens to the court.

“Death of Covid-19 patients just for non supplying of oxygen to the hospitals is a criminal act and not less than a genocide by those who have been entrusted the task to ensure continuous procurement and supply chain of the liquid medical oxygen,” said the court. “How can we leave people to die in an age of advanced science where heart transplants and brain surgeries are carried out?”

The Delhi High Court also ordered the federal government on Tuesday to specify the reason why oxygen had not been applied to New Delhi to treat COVID 19 patients, reported The Hindu. The court recently ordered the federal government to supply sufficient oxygen to New Delhi at all costs.

CBS reported on Tuesday that 120 Indians per hour passed away to COVID-19 over the last two weeks, which is equivalent to two deaths per minute. As of Wednesday (KST), accumulated number of COVID-19 patients in India recorded 20.66 million won and accumulated deaths of 220,000.


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