{"id":106377,"date":"2021-05-11T23:16:06","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T17:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=106377"},"modified":"2021-05-13T11:19:47","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T05:49:47","slug":"national-task-force-for-transparent-oxygen-allocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-task-force-for-transparent-oxygen-allocation\/","title":{"rendered":"National Task Force for Transparent Oxygen Allocation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><b>Synopsis<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The supreme court has constituted a <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-task-force-for-transparent-oxygen-allocation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Task Force for transparent oxygen allocation<\/a>. It is a 12 member body constituted to guide the central government allocation of medical oxygen to the states. Further, it will also recommend a framework for broader pandemic preparedness and response.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Background<\/b><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has crippled the healthcare system in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The situation is worse in the domain of oxygen supply. Due to acute shortages, the toll of preventable deaths has increased.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this scenario, the supreme court has set up a National Task Force for transparent oxygen allocation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>About the National Task Force<\/b> <strong>for transparent oxygen allocation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a 12 member body constituted to guide the central government&#8217;s allocation of medical oxygen to the states.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has 10 members who are leading clinicians, critical care specialists, and virologists. Along with this, there are 2 government officials &#8211; Secretary, Ministry of Health, and Cabinet Secretary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is established for a period of six months.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b>Working and Mandate of Task Force<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will work<\/span><b> as per its 12 point terms of reference<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first five points focus on oxygen supply. This includes:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deciding on a methodology for the scientific allocation of oxygen to states<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facilitating audits (of oxygen supply, distribution, and utilization) by sub-groups within each state and UTs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 6th point allows it to review and suggest measures necessary for ensuring the availability of essential drugs and medicines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The remaining 6 points are aimed at the broader pandemic preparedness and response. This includes planning and adopting remedial measures:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure preparedness for present and future emergencies;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To facilitate the use of technology;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, to suggest augmenting the availability of trained doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, to promote evidence-based research and enhance effective response to the pandemic;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To facilitate sharing of best practices across the nation to promote knowledge about management of the pandemic<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, to make recommendations in regard to other issues of pressing national concerns.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can constitute more sub-groups in specialized areas or regions to assist in its work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can seek assistance from experts both within and outside government in areas such as clinical virology and immunology, epidemiology\/ public health, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b>Benefits of Creating such a task force<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Firstly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it will facilitate a public health response to the pandemic based upon <\/span><b>scientific and specialized domain knowledge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Secondly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it will give inputs to decision-makers. These inputs will enable them to <\/span><b>go beyond ad hoc solutions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to unprecedented challenges.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Thirdly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it will <\/span><b>alter the techno-bureaucratic nature<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of policy decisions by ensuring the participation of independent subject experts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Fourthly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it will <\/span><b>give suggestions to improve state-level public healthcare systems. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As it looks at the shortage of medical oxygen through a broader lens of pandemic preparedness and response.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The state-level health care system currently has:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insufficient planning, delayed procurement, and weakness of supply chain management.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insufficient government funding<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">absence of sufficient and trained human resources<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">high out-of-pocket expenditure (around 30-40%)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b>Way Forward:<\/b><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The members of NTF have the needed qualification and expertise to advise on clinical matters and oxygen supply. However, they may need to <\/span><b>proactively co-opt experts <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from other fields for giving suggestions on broad issues in a short time. This involves experts from medical procurement and supply; pharmacology, free medicines, and diagnostics, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, the task force should refrain from giving a mere medicalized response to a public health challenge. The focus should be on creating a healthcare system that can keep people healthy and respond to future epidemics and pandemics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/national-task-force-covid-19-oxygen-shortage-7309942\/\">Indian Express<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"jfCN5OXPkK\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/centre-seeks-to-replace-eia-rules-activists-rise-in-protest\/\">Centre seeks to replace EIA rules, activists rise in protest<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Centre seeks to replace EIA rules, activists rise in protest&#8221; &#8212; Free UPSC IAS Preparation For Aspirants\" src=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/centre-seeks-to-replace-eia-rules-activists-rise-in-protest\/embed\/#?secret=vH4UUl0BVj#?secret=jfCN5OXPkK\" data-secret=\"jfCN5OXPkK\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Synopsis The supreme court has constituted a National Task Force for transparent oxygen allocation. It is a 12 member body constituted to guide the central government allocation of medical oxygen to the states. Further, it will also recommend a framework for broader pandemic preparedness and response. Background The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/national-task-force-for-transparent-oxygen-allocation\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">National Task Force for Transparent Oxygen Allocation<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230,8043,1351,1310,9],"tags":[1413],"class_list":["post-106377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","category-current-affairs-cat","category-daily-news","category-daily-news-updates","category-public","tag-st_5","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":1700795613,"cached_date":1704956015},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106377\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}