The Delhi government is asking for help for beds and oxygen supply from several entities, including those in the private sector, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Monday.
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He also said that as of Sunday, the national capital “received 440 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen, which was lesser than the allocated quota of 590 MT and much lesser than Delhi’s requirement of 976 MT”.
The Centre on Saturday had raised the city’s daily quota to 590 MT from 490 MT, amid an acute shortage of oxygen, which is needed to treat critical COVID-19 patients.
The Delhi government has been demanding 976 MT of oxygen from the Centre in view of a high rate of admission of COVID-19 patients.
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“It is imperative that we receive adequate oxygen and increase our capacity of beds,” Sisodia, who is also the nodal minister for COVID-19 management, said.
“The Delhi government is asking for help from various stakeholders in terms of oxygen supply, which includes asking the Army to provide trucks or DRDO’s facility with 500 beds,” he said.
“But we need intensive and immediate help to ensure proper oxygen supply in Delhi, and we are in touch with private entities, the social sector, and the central government for the same,” he added.
On Saturday, 12 COVID-19 patients, including a senior doctor, had died at south Delhi’s Batra Hospital after the facility ran out of medical oxygen for around 80 minutes in the afternoon.
Several hospitals in Delhi continue to grapple with a shortage of oxygen amid spike in the coronavirus cases by every passing day.