JOIN USStates face oxygen cylinders shortage as Covid-19 cases surge
The mounting number of coronavirus cases has resulted in a shortage of hospital beds, and as the country nears the 50-lakh mark, states have begun to face a shortage of oxygen supplies.
States are dependent on their neighbours for oxygen and are now facing a threat of shortage. Some have tried to prevent transportation outside their border, forcing the Union health Ministry to issue a letter asking the states not to restrict movement of oxygen cylinders.
Punjab has imposed restrictions on state-based manufacturers selling oxygen supplies to other states, but also reached out to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Harayana to boost its supplies, according to a report by The Times of India.
Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka faced a shortage of oxygen after Maharashtra cut off oxygen supplies on September 7, and utilised it for their own hospitals. However, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V clarified that there was no shortage of oxygen in hospitals in the district.
As coronavirus cases spiked in Delhi, Indore and Bhopal, their suppliers located in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra and Bundelkhand were hit, resulting in a shortage of oxygen in those three regions.
Kharghar-based Polaris Hospital manager Ashok Kumar said, "There is no regular supply. Our demand is 25 to 30 cylinders of 7,000 litres a piece. But we get less than half of it."
In Jammu, hospitals faced oxygen shortage, a problem that National Conference president Farooq Abdullah termed as "worrisome".