Centre raises oxygen supply to Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand

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The central government recently announced that it has increased the quota of oxygen supply to eight states, including Delhi in response to a sudden surge in demand caused by an exponential increase in the number of Covid patients admitted to hospitals.

These states where the supply has been raised are Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In Maharashtra, the quota has been increased from 1646 Metric Tonnes (MT) to 1661 MT. In Delhi, it has been raised from 378 MT to 480 MT, in Madhya Pradesh from 445 MT to 543 MT, in Haryana 156 MT to 162, in Uttar Pradesh 751 to 753 MT, in Punjab from 126 to 136 MT, in Andhra Pradesh from 360 to 440 MT and in Uttarakhand, the oxygen quota was increased from 83 Metric Tonnes to 103 Metric Tonnes.

Apart from this, government is also setting up many new oxygen plants in the country. On the other hand, regarding the Oxygen Express, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that Oxygen Express is being sent from Lucknow to Bokaro to load liquid oxygen which will ensure oxygen supply in Uttar Pradesh. In view of the demand for oxygen from Madhya Pradesh, this train will also be run there. More such trains will be started in a few days.

“In view of the sudden spike in the demand for oxygen in some states due to an exponential rise in the number of Covid patients admitted in the hospital, the Union government has increased the quota of oxygen,” said the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has enlisted the help of three prominent doctors, including Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, Delhi, Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health, and Naresh Trehan, Chairman, Medanta Hospital, to send out messages about the proper use of Covid-19 treatment options, especially about oxygen.

According to Randeep Guleria, healthy individuals with oxygen saturation in the range of 93-94% do not need to take high flow oxygen just to maintain their saturation at 98-99% and even those with oxygen saturation of less than 94 % need close monitoring while oxygen is optional.