Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur said on Monday said he will send emergency supplies of oxygen to Delhi after his counterpart in the national capital sought help amid a massive shortage of the gas used to treat critical patients of the coronavirus disease. “On the request of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, our government will make emergency supplies of oxygen to Delhi. There is a huge oxygen crisis in the national capital due to the Covid-19 epidemic, which is worrying. Himachal will provide all possible help to Delhi in this hour of crisis,” Thakur’s tweet, in Hindi, read. Delhi chief minister thanked Thakur for the help.Last week, Kejriwal sought help from the chief ministers of all states as Delhi’s hospitals were crippled with the massive shortage of oxygen. “I am writing to all CMs requesting them to provide oxygen to Delhi if they have spare. Though Central govt. is also helping us, the severity of corona is such that all available resources are proving inadequate,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader tweeted on April 24
The national capital is struggling with a paucity of essential drugs like Remidesivir to ICU beds, ventilators and medical oxygen as it is facing its fourth and the worst wave since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 20 people died recently in one of the hospitals in the Capital due to lack of oxygen supply, while major hospitals counted hours before they run out of their supplies.
Hospitals across Delhi have been sending out SOS messages on social media flagging out the acute shortage of oxygen supply. The hospitals in the national capital had also moved Delhi high court on the depleting supply.
Delhi, which is one of the worst-hit cities in the country, reported more than 24,000 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours on Sunday.Meanwhile, the Indian Railways said one of its Oxygen Expresses carrying 64.55 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) has left for Delhi from Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh.
