Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference regarding the current wave of coronavirus in New Delhi.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday thanked the Central government for increasing Delhi’s Oxygen quota. The Chief Minister who raised the concern of raising the quota for the national capital tweeted today saying they are very grateful to the Centre for this.
Kejriwal on Tuesday urged the Centre "with folded hands" to provide medical oxygen to Delhi and his deputy Manish Sisodia said there will be chaos in the city if the stocks are not replenished by Wednesday morning.
ICU beds in Delhi hospitals were also filling up fast amid a surge in coronavirus infections.
Oxygen status in Delhi
Only 30 of them were available for coronavirus patients in government and private hospitals across the national capital at 10 pm, according to data from the city government's Delhi Corona app.
"Serious oxygen crisis persists in Delhi," Kejriwal tweeted, adding some hospitals are left with just a few hours of stock. In another tweet, he said, "I urge the Central government with folded hands to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi."
"Most hospitals in Delhi have only eight to 12 hours of oxygen left. We have been asking the Centre to increase its supply for the last seven days. There will be chaos in Delhi if hospitals do not get enough oxygen by Wednesday morning," Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.
He also posted a note on Twitter mentioning the status of oxygen stock in various hospitals.
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According to the note, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Burari Hospital, Ambedkar Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, BL Kapoor Hospital and Max Hospital in Patparganj were among those having only eight to 12 hours of oxygen left at 6 PM.
Delhi Health Minister request to Union Minister Piyush Goyal
Health Minister Satyendar Jain sent an SOS to Union minister Piyush Goyal at 10:20 pm, saying “oxygen at GTB Hospital may not last beyond 4 hrs.”
“More than 500 corona patients on oxygen. Pl help @PiyushGoyal to restore oxygen supply to avert major crisis.”
According to Jain, Delhi got 240 metric tonnes of oxygen on Monday and 365 MT on Tuesday against the requirement of 700 MT per day.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said its oxygen stock would last till 1 am. The hospital has 485 COVID beds, of which 475 are occupied. Around 120 patients are currently in the ICU.
Its chairman DS Rana said, "6,000 cubic meters of it is left, which at the rate of current consumption will last till 1 am. Need urgent replenishment."
Kejriwal had on Sunday termed shortage of oxygen for coronavirus patients an "emergency". He had also written to Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal, seeking his intervention in the matter.
On Monday, the Delhi government set up a 24-member committee to ensure "rational" use of oxygen for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. An order issued by the Health Department said the 'Oxygen Audit Committee' will identify areas of wasteful consumption.
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