Amid complaints of oxygen scarcity in hospitals throughout the country owing to the massive spike in coronavirus infections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to “urgently” provide oxygen to the national capital, saying that hospitals are facing acute shortage due to an unprecedented surge in cases.
“Serious oxygen crisis persists in Delhi. I again urge centre to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi. Some hospitals are left with just a few hours of oxygen,” Kejriwal tweeted. He had earlier made a similar appeal to the central government, saying that hospitals in the national capital are running low on oxygen as well as ICU beds.
“Had a review meeting with officials on the current situation of corona. We are working on a war footing to ensure oxygen supply in Delhi, and are also talking to the central government. An increase in the number of oxygen beds is happening on a large scale,” he tweeted again.
According to sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) all possible efforts are being made to improve the situation. “Things should improve in a few hours. Oxygen has to be brought from UP and vehicles have been sent. Delhi will not go out of oxygen,” sources said.
Data shared by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia shows that in most of the hospitals—state-run and private—the oxygen supply is available for 8-12 hours. “In most hospitals in Delhi, oxygen is available for the next 8 to 12 hours only. We have been demanding for one week to increase the oxygen supply quota to Delhi, which the Central government has to do. If oxygen does not reach the hospitals in sufficient quantity by tomorrow morning, there will be an outcry,” tweeted Sisodia.
Delhi registered its biggest daily spike with 28,395 Covid-19 cases and 277 deaths being recorded in 24 hours, according to data released by the Delhi Government’s health department on Tuesday. The national capital has gone into a six-day lockdown amid the deteriorating Covid-19 situation.