Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 22 April, chaired a meeting to review the oxygen supply situation in the country and to discuss ways to boost its availability.
The meeting comes amid a huge surge of COVID-19 cases in the country, and an acute paucity of life-saving oxygen being reported by multiple states and many hospitals.
Here are the key highlights from the meeting:
- PM Modi spoke about the need to increase oxygen production, speed of distribution, and using innovative ways to provide oxygen support to health facilities.
- The PM was also said exercise is being done in coordination with states to identify their demand for oxygen and ensure adequate supply. The PMO announced that against the present demand from 20 states of 6,785 MT/day of Liquid Medical oxygen, the government has allocated 6,822 MT/day from 21 April to these states.
- It was noted that in last few days, availability of Liquid Medical Oxygen has increased by 3,300 MT/day with contributions from private and public steel plants, industries, oxygen manufacturers as well as through prohibition of oxygen supply for non-essential industries.
- The PM stressed on the need to ensure faster transportation of oxygen to the states. It was discussed that Railways is being used for rapid and non-stop long distance transport of tankers.
- Officers informed the PM that they are working together with states to operationalise sanctioned PSA oxygen plants as soon as possible.
- PM Modi also stressed that the states should come down heavily on hoarding.
- Representatives from the medical community also spoke about the need for judicious use of oxygen and how an audit in some states has decreased oxygen demand without affecting the condition of patients.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in an order dated Thursday, 22 April, said that no restriction shall be imposed on the movement of medical oxygen between the states, and transport authorities shall be instructed to accordingly allow free inter-state movement of oxygen.
India on Thursday reported 3,14,835 fresh COVID-19 cases – the highest one-day spike so far and also the world’s biggest daily spike.
As many as 2,104 COVID fatalities and 1,78,841 discharges in 24 hours were recorded, as per the Union Health Ministry. The total case tally has now reached 1,59,30,965 with 22,91,428 active patients and 1,84,657 deaths. The total number of recoveries, meanwhile, stands at 1,34,54,880.
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