Make all-out efforts to lift oxygen allocated for Delhi

Cabinet Secretary tells Delhi govt. to ensure rational and transparent distribution

At a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation in the Capital, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Sunday asked the Delhi government to make all-out efforts to lift their allocated oxygen using all the means at their disposal. He also told the government to ensure that the available oxygen is distributed rationally and in a transparent manner so that there is no diversion or leakage.

The Cabinet Secretary expressed his anguish at recent instances, where people had suffered due to lack of adequate and timely availability of oxygen and emphasised the need to ramp up the city’s medical infrastructure at the earliest, to cater to the increasing demand for COVID beds, ICUs and ventilators.

‘Single helpline’

He also stressed the need to make available all relevant information on COVID beds and other facilities and medicine availability to the public through dedicated websites and apps, on the basis of which people in need can approach the right place.

“A single helpline should be created at the front end to provide relevant clinical information to the needy people and should be popularised. The helpline can be serviced through a dedicated and well-staffed call centre,” Mr. Gauba said. He also asked for further augmentation of testing facilities and timely availability of test results.

The meeting was attended by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, NITI Aayog member V.K. Paul, the Delhi Chief Secretary and other senior officials of the GNCTD.

Mr. Paul emphasised the seriousness of the present situation and recommended to rope in small nursing homes and hospitals for augmenting the medical infrastructure of the Capital. He asked for COVID care centres to be opened in hotels and similar places, as per protocol.

In order to supplement the 24x7 helpline of the Delhi government, Mr. Paul recommended that the Delhi Medical Association be requested to offer around 50 doctors, who can voluntarily provide medical consultation to COVID-19 patients.

“The helpline/medical professional can provide guidance on use of medicines, oxygen concentrators and other medical facilities,” he said.

The Additional Secretary, Health, emphasised the need for setting up oxygen audit committees in various hospitals and medical facilities.