C-17 and IL-76 aircraft airlifted cryogenic oxygen containers from Air Force Station Hindan to Panagarh for recharging, in support of the fight against Covid-19. Similar airlift tasks are underway across the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held high-level meetings with Chief Ministers of states worst hit by the second wave of coronavirus, industrialists and oxygen manufacturers to review the Covid situation and supply of essential medicines. Amid several states flagging scarcity of medical oxygen, the Prime Minister said Railways and Air Force are being deployed to reduce the transportation time for oxygen tankers and all state governments need to work together to meet requirements of life saving gas and medicines.
PM Modi chairs high-level meet with CMs, Oxygen manufacturers
Chairing a high-level meeting with chief ministers of 11 states and union territories with maximum COVID-19 cases, Modi urged states to work as one and coordinate with one another to fulfil medical requirements, asserting that "if we work as one nation, there will not be any scarcity of resources”.
Modi said every state should ensure that no oxygen tanker, irrespective of its destination, is stopped or gets stranded, a statement said.
The prime minister's call for coordination and working together to meet the spiralling health crisis comes amid multiple reports of medical oxygen supply being stopped at borders of one state or the other during transit.
ALSO READ | COVID-19: PM Modi holds meeting with CMs of 10 states worst-hit by pandemic
Hospitals in many states have complained of a shortage in their oxygen supply and sent out SOS messages, requiring the government to take urgent measures to increase the production and supply of the life-saving gas.
Railways, Air Force pitch in
Modi noted that the Railways and Air Force have been deployed to reduce the travel time of oxygen tankers and assured states of the Centre's full support in the fight against the pandemic.
It was the prime minister's third meeting with chief ministers in the last five weeks, while he also held his fourth review meeting in one week to review the oxygen availability situation, officials said.
ALSO READ | India's Covid graph may peak at 33-35 lakh active cases by May 15: IIT scientists
Modi asks states to tighten noose on those black marketing essential medicines, injections
Modi asked states to take stringent measures against hoarding and black marketing of essential medicines and injections.
He also called for making people continuously aware so that they do not indulge in panic buying. He said that with united efforts, they will together be able to stop this second wave of the pandemic across the country.
Modi on vaccine distribution to states
With some opposition-ruled states criticizing the Centre's recently announced vaccination policy as discriminatory against states, Modi said that the Union government has already provided them more than 15 crore doses free of cost.
Noting that the virus is affecting several states as well as tier 2 and tier 3 cities at once, the prime minister called for working together to fight the pandemic with collective power.
ALSO READ | When PM Modi reprimanded Delhi CM Kejriwal over 'protocol break' during Covid meet
He said the biggest reason for India's success during the first wave of the pandemic was its united efforts and strategy and reiterated that the Centre and states will have to address this challenge in the same way.
Continuous efforts to boost oxygen supply, says PM
Taking note of the points raised by chief ministers on the issue of oxygen supply, Modi said there is a continuous effort to boost it and all related departments and ministries are also working together. Industrial oxygen has also been diverted to meet immediate requirements, he noted.
He said each state should ensure that no oxygen tanker, irrespective of which state it is headed for, is stopped or gets stranded, and urged chief ministers to set up a high-level coordination committee to carry oxygen to different hospitals of the state.
This coordination 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, he said.
ALSO READ | Amid Covid crisis, Defence ministry to airlift 23 oxygen generation plants from Germany
Oxygen express ensuring speedy transportation
Asserting that the Centre is working on all possible options to reduce the travel and turnaround time of oxygen tankers, he said the railways has started Oxygen Express while empty oxygen tankers are also being transported by the Air Force to reduce one way travel time.
Earlier today, the first Oxygen Express train reached Maharashtra's Nagpur carrying seven tankers filled with liquid medical oxygen from Visakhapatnam reached Maharashtra on Friday. The train arrived at Nagpur at 8.10 pm, bringing some relief to the state which is reeling under a surge in coronavirus cases and shortages of medical oxygen.
Three of the seven tankers will be unloaded at Nagpur station and remaining will be unloaded at Nasik Road station.
PM Modi asks states to focus on testing
Along with upgrading of resources, states have to focus on testing for the infection, he said, stressing that widespread testing should be conducted so that people get the facility easily.
He also said that the ongoing vaccination programme should not slow down, noting that more than 13 crore vaccine doses have been provided free of cost to the states by his government so far.
PM Modi reiterates free vaccination for those above 45 years will continue
The campaign launched by the central government to provide free vaccine to all citizens above 45 years as well as health care and front line workers will also continue, he said.
Noting that the vaccine will be available to all citizens above 18 years of age from May 1, he said they all need to work in mission mode to get more and more people vaccinated.
Expressing grief on recent incidents of oxygen leakage and fire at hospitals, Modi said along with all measures for the treatment of the patients, hospital safety is also very important. The administrative staff of the hospital needs to be made more aware of the safety protocols, he added.
Thirteen COVID-19 patients died in the blaze at the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Virar in Maharashtra, police said on Friday.
At least 22 patients had died on Wednesday due to the interrupted supply of oxygen at a civic hospital for COVID-19 patients in Nashik in Maharashtra following the leakage from an oxygen storage plant.
In the meeting of Modi with chief ministers, a presentation was made by NITI Aayog member VK Paul that highlighted the preparations being made to counter the new surge of infections. Paul also presented the roadmap for increasing the medical facilities and targeted treatment of patients, the statement said.
ALSO READ | Indian Air Force roped in to airlift oxygen tankers as India battles fresh wave of Covid-19
During the interaction, chief ministers of states, which included Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, briefed Modi about the steps being taken by them in the current wave.
They said the directions given by the prime minister and the road map presented by NITI Aayog would help them plan their responses in a better way, the statement added.
With a record single-day rise of 3,32,730 new coronavirus infections, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,62,63,695, while active cases crossed the 24-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ | IAF to airlift oxygen tankers, cylinders from Jamnagar to Indore to cope with demand
