'Huge shortage of oxygen': Arvind Kejriwal seeks PM Modi's guidance to deal with Covid-19 crisis
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate measures to deal with the prevailing oxygen crisis in Delhi amid spiralling Covid-19 cases. Speaking during the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said that there is a huge shortage of oxygen in Delhi, adding that people are in major pain due to oxygen shortage.
"We fear big tragedy may happen due to lack of oxygen for patients, national plan needed to deal with situation," Kejriwal said and suggested the Centre to take over all oxygen plants through Army. "Eevery truck should be accompanied by Army escort vehicle."
"I request with folded hands that PM gives direction to CMs to ensure smooth movement of oxygen tankers coming to Delhi," he said.
"Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if there is no oxygen-producing plant here? Please suggest whom should I speak to in Central government when an oxygen tanker destined for Delhi is stopped in another state?" the Delhi CM asked.
A serious oxygen crisis unfolding in the national capital for the last one week. Althout the Centre has hiked Delhi's oxygen quota, several hospitals in the city are still facing acute shortage of medical oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19.
Kejriwal also told PM Modi that state governments should be given COVID-19 vaccines at similar rates as Central government.
Prime Minister Modi held a meeting on Friday with chief ministers of 10 states with the most number of COVID-19 cases. The meeting via video conferencing comes amid a huge surge in coronavirus cases, which have now clocked a daily total of over 3 lakh in the country. Chief ministers of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi are among those who attended the meeting.
Modi will hold a meeting with leading oxygen manufacturers in the country via video conference amid concerns expressed by some states that their supply of the life-saving gas is running short with a number of hospitals sending out SOS.
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