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'Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if...': Kejriwal asks PM Modi in Covid-19 meet
The Delhi CM raised the issue in a meeting PM Modi held on Friday with chief ministers of 10 states with the most number of Covid-19 cases.
Facing a grim crisis of saving lives with top hospitals in Delhi reporting an acute shortage of oxygen, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday raised the challenge in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Delhi CM raised the issue in a meeting PM Modi held on Friday with chief ministers of 10 states with the most number of Covid-19 cases. The meeting via video conferencing comes on the day India saw more than 3 lakh Covid-19 cases.
"There is a huge shortage of oxygen in Delhi. Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if there is no oxygen-producing plant here?" Kejriwal said, reported news agency ANI.
Raising the issue of problems faced during transportation of oxygen tankers, Kejriwal said, "Please suggest whom should I speak to in Central Govt when an oxygen tanker destined for Delhi is stopped in another state."
Delhi on Thursday reported more than 26,000 new cases and 306 deaths, or about one fatality every five minutes, the fastest since the pandemic began.
Delhi's Max hospital chain on Friday informed that it is suspending any new patient admissions in all the hospitals in Delhi-NCR till oxygen supplies get stabilize, but later withdrew the order after it received the oxygen supply.
An Oxygen carrying vehicle has reached Max Hospital, Saket after the hospital sent an SOS to the Delhi government , says DCP South.
DCP also informed that another Oxygen carrying vehicle has reached Max Smart Hospital.
On Friday morning, Healthcare provider Max Healthcare informed that it is suspending any new patient admissions in all the hospitals in Delhi-NCR till oxygen supplies get stabilize.
India's top private hospital in the national capital Sir Ganga Ram on Wednesday announced an oxygen shortage with 58 patients awaiting treatment and 35 waiting outside the hospital for admission.
The crisis was compounded by similar reports emerging from other parts of the national capital where hospitals are racing against time with their oxygen quota.
Sisodia said that the Delhi government has talked to the Centre to get the oxygen tanker that was stuck at a plant in Faridabad.
Medical oxygen and beds have become scarce, with major hospitals putting up notices saying they have no room for any more patients and police being deployed to secure oxygen supplies.
Max Healthcare, which runs a network of hospitals in northern and western India posted an appeal on Twitter on Friday for emergency supplies of oxygen at its facility in Delhi.
"We regret to inform that we are suspending any new patient admissions in all our hospitals in Delhi ... till oxygen supplies stabilise," the company said.
