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The shortage of oxygen supply in hospitals in different states became the focal point even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of chief ministers of 10 states on April 23 on the worsening COVID-19 situation.

In the afternoon, Modi also met industry captains and heads of companies who can arrange emergency supply of oxygen. The list included people such as Sajjan Jindal of the Jindal Group and Soma Mondal, chairperson of SAIL.

The Centre deployed the armed forces to transport oxygen, which is an inflammable gas and is hazardous to transport.

In order to reduce travel time and turnaround time of oxygen tankers, Railways has started Oxygen Express.

PM Modi said that there is a relentless effort to increase oxygen supply. Industrial oxygen has also been diverted to meet immediate requirements.

Oxygen shortage

In states such as Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat, there were numerous reports of hospitals running critically short of oxygen.

Some hospital authorities even twitted SOS asking for oxygen. “This is a grave crisis,” said Dr Devlina Chakravarty, managing director, Artemis Hospital in Gurugram. She hoped that a tanker of oxygen would reach the hospital on Friday night.

“It is here and now. On the three areas of oxygen supply, medicine supply and vaccination, whatever has to be done has to be done. This is a national emergency,” remarked Uday Kotak, president, CII at a television programme.

According to reports, the Prime Minister issued instructions for smooth delivery of oxygen to tier 2 and tier 3 cities where the infection is spreading.

An important development of the day was the announcement by pharma company Zydus Cadilla that its drug Virafin has received the regulatory nod to be used for the treatment of COVID patients. The company said that patients with moderate symptoms can be treated with this drug and they would test negative after a seven-day regimen.

Vaccination drive

In the meeting with the PM, Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, said that vaccination for all should be free.

Noting that the virus is affecting several states as well as tier 2 and tier 3 cities at once, PM Modi said that it is important to work together to fight against the pandemic.

The Prime Minister urged the states to work together and coordinate with one-another to fulfil requirements related to medicines and oxygen. He urged the states to check hoarding and black marketing of oxygen and medicines.

Modi also said that every state should ensure that no oxygen tanker, whether it is meant for any state, is stopped or gets stranded.

The Prime Minister also urged the states to set up a co-ordination committee to carry oxygen to different hospitals of the state.

This Coordination Committee should ensure that as soon as there is allotment of oxygen from the Centre, it can deliver oxygen as per requirement in different hospitals of the state immediately.

According to officials, about 80 crore people will be given 5 kg of foodgrains in May and June under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.