How NCR can be turned into one health ecosystem | Economic Times

Stretched and scarce oxygen resources are the latest grist to the territorial politics between three states, which unfortunately raises its ugly head each time a crisis hits the national capital region of Delhi. And for that reason alone, the Centre this time ought to consider treating the entire NCR — Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, parts of Faridabad and Ghaziabad — as a single unit for supplying medical oxygen.It’s important to recognise that though these areas may fall in different states, they together are part of a single health and medical ecosystem, which is currently under significant duress due to a massive surge in Covid-19 cases. It’s not as if Gurgaon is any less affected than Delhi or Noida is better off in comparison to Faridabad. While numbers may be recorded statewise, the truth is that this catchment alone currently accounts for about 1.2 lakh confirmed cases.This population is economically interdependent. So, you have people working and residing in Delhi but may be admitted in Noida for Covid-19 treatment. The converse is equally true. Many Gurgaon and Noida Covid-19 patients may be admitted in Delhi hospitals. People in NCR conveniently shift between say a Max or Apollo hospitals in Delhi, a Medanta and Fortis in Gurgaon or for that matter, Kailash or Fortis hospitals in Noida.But the oxygen mapping, at present, goes state by state. So, we have Gurgaon and Faridabad serviced from the Haryana quota, which is largely getting its supplies from units located in its state, while Delhi hospitals are dependent on units in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Odisha. Noida’s supplies are from the UP quota, which draws from units within its state as well as a large chunk from distant Jharkhand.There’s a case to be made to have one integrated oxygen supply plan for the entire NCR ecosystem. Else, this will consistently provoke parochial competitive oxygen politics between Delhi, Haryana and UP in which the Centre will find itself repeatedly drawn into, trying to frame temporary solutions that in the current crisis runs the risk of coming across as both inefficient and insufficient.The best way forward would be to mark out Delhi NCR as one big Covid-19 hotspot, use the National Disaster Management Act to devise a unified strategy and plan for oxygen supply. And possibly, even consider extending it to cover vaccination and provisioning of other medical supplies. All three state governments must as a matter of emergency commit themselves to such a plan. It will also be easier for the Centre to allocate resources without trading charges.This kind of competitive, discriminatory politics was also visible in the first wave when health service providers working in Delhi, residing in Haryana, were not allowed to cross the order for fear of bringing back the infection. Similarly, Delhi wanted to reserve beds only for residents here. Then, there was a case of supplying essentials when seamless movement of transport across the three states became an issue.All that was resolved through negotiations but this one bears a mega urgency tag on it and decisive moves must be made to avoid further chaos and ebb the fear. Already, the contest has spilled over to the judicial side, leading to needless acrimony which is only aggravating the panic-filled atmosphere.In this backdrop of heightened panic and tension, developing one NCR model may, at least, help introduce a modicum of predictability into the system.The Centre may have sought to address the immediate crisis by issuing orders necessary for seamless movement of oxygen-bearing vehicles. But what’s needed more urgently is a durable and structurally sound crisis management solution for the entire Delhi NCR to cope with this challenge.