Rajasthan
Severe oxygen shortage hampering treatment of patients, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tells PM | Jaipur News
JAIPUR: Even as three senior cabinet ministers — health minister Raghu Sharma, Shanti Dhariwal and BD Kalla — are in Delhi demanding more oxygen to treat Covid-19 patients, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday took it upon himself to speak to the prime minister on the oxygen crisis facing the state.
The government said that the consignment of medical oxygen, allocated by the Centre and to be supplied from Jamnagar in Gujarat, has not yet arrived in the state. The shortage of tankers has been a major obstacle in supplying oxygen to Rajasthan from Gujarat as well as from Odisha and Jharkhand. The state only has 23 tankers available for transporting oxygen.
Speaking to the PM, Gehlot said, “The way the Government of India has brought the entire oxygen production and distribution under its control, it should also bring the use of tankers under it and allocate the same according to the needs of states.” He said without tankers, oxygen will not reach the states.
Patients were increasing continuously in various districts was a matter of grave concern, he said. In the second wave, a large number of young people were also being infected by the virus. In such a situation, proper distribution of all life-saving resources should be ensured according to the number of patients and the severity of infection.The chief minister asked the Centre to include tankers for transportation in the ‘national plan’ of allocating oxygen to the states.
Meanwhile, health minister Raghu Sharma pointed out while the consumption of oxygen was about 6,500 cylinders per day in the state three months ago, it has now increased to 31,425 cylinders daily. With experts warning of a surge in patients in hospitals in the coming days, the situation would turn very grave if the state does not beef up oxygen supply, he said.
According to Sharma, the demand for oxygen in the state has been estimated at 365 metric tonnes (MT) by April 30, 541MT by May 9 and 900MT by May 30. “The Union home minister assured us of cooperation and timely supply. We spoke of buying oxygen from many states, but for us transportation is a big challenge. For this, we will need at least 65 oxygen tankers by May 9,” he said.
Secretary (medical and health) Siddharth Mahajan said the state government has made all efforts on a war footing to address the oxygen crisis. Oxygen tankers are being airlifted from Jamnagar in Gujarat. Also, a new plant has been set up in Alwar district with a capacity to produce 1,000 cylinders per day.
By next week, a plant with a capacity to produce 1,200 cylinders per day will be started by Hindustan Zinc Ltd in Dariba, Rajsamand. Apart from this, production of 500 cylinders will start soon. GPS systems have been installed in oxygen tankers to ensure timely supply and vehicles are being monitored from the state control room, he said.
The supply of oxygen for industrial purposes has been stopped and all oxygen will be used for medical purposes only. Cylinders used for industrial work have been acquired and made available for medical treatment. State officials are being posted at oxygen production plants to supervise the entire operation, he said.
The government said that the consignment of medical oxygen, allocated by the Centre and to be supplied from Jamnagar in Gujarat, has not yet arrived in the state. The shortage of tankers has been a major obstacle in supplying oxygen to Rajasthan from Gujarat as well as from Odisha and Jharkhand. The state only has 23 tankers available for transporting oxygen.
Speaking to the PM, Gehlot said, “The way the Government of India has brought the entire oxygen production and distribution under its control, it should also bring the use of tankers under it and allocate the same according to the needs of states.” He said without tankers, oxygen will not reach the states.
Patients were increasing continuously in various districts was a matter of grave concern, he said. In the second wave, a large number of young people were also being infected by the virus. In such a situation, proper distribution of all life-saving resources should be ensured according to the number of patients and the severity of infection.The chief minister asked the Centre to include tankers for transportation in the ‘national plan’ of allocating oxygen to the states.
Meanwhile, health minister Raghu Sharma pointed out while the consumption of oxygen was about 6,500 cylinders per day in the state three months ago, it has now increased to 31,425 cylinders daily. With experts warning of a surge in patients in hospitals in the coming days, the situation would turn very grave if the state does not beef up oxygen supply, he said.
According to Sharma, the demand for oxygen in the state has been estimated at 365 metric tonnes (MT) by April 30, 541MT by May 9 and 900MT by May 30. “The Union home minister assured us of cooperation and timely supply. We spoke of buying oxygen from many states, but for us transportation is a big challenge. For this, we will need at least 65 oxygen tankers by May 9,” he said.
Secretary (medical and health) Siddharth Mahajan said the state government has made all efforts on a war footing to address the oxygen crisis. Oxygen tankers are being airlifted from Jamnagar in Gujarat. Also, a new plant has been set up in Alwar district with a capacity to produce 1,000 cylinders per day.
By next week, a plant with a capacity to produce 1,200 cylinders per day will be started by Hindustan Zinc Ltd in Dariba, Rajsamand. Apart from this, production of 500 cylinders will start soon. GPS systems have been installed in oxygen tankers to ensure timely supply and vehicles are being monitored from the state control room, he said.
The supply of oxygen for industrial purposes has been stopped and all oxygen will be used for medical purposes only. Cylinders used for industrial work have been acquired and made available for medical treatment. State officials are being posted at oxygen production plants to supervise the entire operation, he said.
