I don’t know if there is oxygen crisis at hospitals

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin yesterday told the High Court that he does not know whether there is any oxygen crisis in the hospitals of the country.

Nobody has complained of any oxygen supply crisis in hospitals, he told the bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir during hearing.

The bench wanted to hear opinion from him when Ishrat Hasan, a Supreme Court lawyer, prayed to the court to permit her to file a writ petition seeking its directive on the government to ensure adequate supply of oxygen to hospitals by cutting supply to industries to save patients' lives.

Ishrat said India has stopped supply of oxygen to their factories in order to ensure adequate supply to hospitals.

Additional Attorney General Md Mehedi Hassan Chowdhury told the HC the government has ensured sufficient supply of oxygen in hospitals and there is no need to stop oxygen supply to factories.

The HC refused to permit Ishrat to file a petition and said it will allow her to do it if the situation demands later on.