Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told chief ministers of states and Union territories hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic to ensure there are no hindrances in the transportation of oxygen tankers as several regions across the country reported a shortage in the supply for Covid-19 patients. “He urged the states to check hoarding and black marketing of oxygen and medicines. The PM said that every state should ensure that no oxygen tanker, whether it is meant for any state, is stopped or gets stranded,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
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PM Modi’s remarks came at a high-level meeting on the Covid-19 situation with chief ministers of 11 states and Union territories that have reported the maximum number of cases lately. The crucial meeting, the third with CMs in the last five weeks, comes at a time when many states are reporting a lack of health infrastructure to meet the requirements amid a massive increase in Covid-19 cases.
As the states flagged a shortage of oxygen and medicines for Covid-19 patients, PM Modi said that continuous efforts are on to increase the supply. “All the concerned departments and ministries of the government are also working together. Industrial oxygen has also been diverted to meet immediate requirements,” the Prime Minister said, according to his office.
During the meeting, PM Modi urged the states to set up a high-level coordination committee to carry oxygen to different hospitals of the state. This committee should ensure that as soon as there is an allotment of oxygen from the Centre, it can deliver oxygen as per requirement in different hospitals of the state immediately.
{{/usCountry}}During the meeting, PM Modi urged the states to set up a high-level coordination committee to carry oxygen to different hospitals of the state. This committee should ensure that as soon as there is an allotment of oxygen from the Centre, it can deliver oxygen as per requirement in different hospitals of the state immediately.
{{/usCountry}}PM Modi also stated that the government is working on all possible options to reduce the travel time and turnaround time of oxygen tankers. “For this, railways has started Oxygen Express. Empty Oxygen tankers are also being transported by the Air Force to reduce one-way travel time,” according to PM’s office.
Prime Minister urged all states to work together to fight the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and assured that if the nation battles as a collective power, there won’t e any scarcity of resources. “He said the biggest basis of India’s success during the first wave of the pandemic was our united efforts and united strategy and reiterated that we will have to address this challenge in the same way,” his office said.
PM Modi reiterated the need to scale up testing along with upgrading resources. He also remarked that India’s vaccination programme should not slow down in the current situation.
On Friday, India registered over 300,000 Covid-19 cases, the world's highest daily tally for the second day in a row, which take the total infection tally to 16,263,695. The toll due to the viral disease is also on the rise with 2263 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of fatalities to 186,920.