Maharashtra’s oxygen stock has not improved significantly: Uddhav

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday cautioned that the state’s medical oxygen stock has not significantly improved and added that if the state’s daily demand touches 700 metric tonnes (MT) then the government will look at a complete lockdown

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday cautioned that the state’s medical oxygen stock has not significantly improved and added that if the state’s daily demand touches 700 metric tonnes (MT) then the government will look at a complete lockdown.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday cautioned that the state’s medical oxygen stock has not significantly improved and added that if the state’s daily demand touches 700 metric tonnes (MT) then the government will look at a complete lockdown. (Praful Gangurde / HT)

Meanwhile, the state added 4,575 fresh infections on Saturday, taking the total to 6,420,510. The state also added 145 fatalities, pushing the toll to 135,817. The active cases in the state stood at 53,967. Mumbai, meanwhile, added 262 new cases and five fatalities.

Mumbai’s tally rose to 740,870, while its active cases went under 3,000, at 2,988. Mumbai’s death toll rose to 15,946.

Thackeray, who inaugurating a paediatric Covid-19 care centre in suburban Santacruz, appealed to people to not let their guard down and reminded that that the Covid-19 pandemic is still not over and that “people should behave responsibly”. He also said that political parties should not carry out programmes that would endanger the lives of citizens.

Senior government officials said that the state’s current demand for medical oxygen is about 450MT daily for Covid and non-Covid patients. “The daily demand for Covid patients is 200MT and for non-Covid patients it is 250MT today. We have been able to increase our daily production from 1,700MT to about 2,100MT,” a senior official said, requesting anonymity. As per estimates, if the third wave hits the state with more intensity than the previous one, then about 4,000MT of medical grade oxygen will be required daily. Thackeray expressed his concern in this context.

“The threat of Covid hasn’t passed so far. If we do not follow Covid protocols and create crowding then it will possibly expedite the onset of the third wave [of covid infection]. I will again say this that our oxygen stock has not improved significantly. [So,] when we touch [the daily demand of] 700MT for Covid patients, we will probably have to introduce a complete lockdown,” Thackeray said, while speaking to reporters on Saturday.

With increasing instances of crowding, traffic congestion, and political programmes, chief minister said that the relaxations were given to keep the economic cycle moving. “Don’t forget that Covid-19 restrictions have been eased to keep the economic cycle moving. People should not fall prey to any kind of provocation, which may endanger their lives and those of others,” he said.

He added, “I appeal to all the people in the state that they shouldn’t act in manner that would affect their health or others. I appeal to political parties, social and religious organisations that they shouldn’t do things that would endanger the lives of the citizens.” The daily rise in infections and the deaths due to Covid-19 need to be brought down, he said. Experts had voiced concern that a third wave could affect children the most, therefore the government set up a paediatric Covid-19 task force, Thackeray said.

Thackeray inaugurated a 30-bed dedicated paediatric Covid care centre at the IT Park on Mumbai University’s Kalina Campus on Saturday. Doctors from the paediatric unit of VN Desai Municipal Hospital and a private one will provide treatment to children at the centre.

The centre is spread over 5,000 sq ft and will treat children below 12 years. Facilities for parent or guardians to accompany the child have also been made at the facility. It houses isolation areas, treatment sections, a breastfeeding room, play and an entertainment area for children.

The dedicated centre has been launched as a preparedness measure as it is anticipated that the possible third wave of Covid-19 may hit children in large numbers. The civic body will assess each Covid positive case, assign beds through 24 war wardrooms--as done in the case of adults.

A dedicated paediatric Covid-19 ward for children below 12 years has also been planned at the NESCO jumbo Covid centre in Goregaon East. The facility will be equipped with nearly 700 beds, including 300 for paediatric care. It will also include a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with 25 beds each.