PM Narendra Modi chairs meeting on Covid-19 situation

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23 chaired high-level meeting on Covid-19 situation with Chief Ministers of 11 states and Union Territories which have reported maximum number of infections recently.

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 biggest basis of India’s success during the first wave of the pandemic was our united efforts and united strategy and reiterated that we will have to address this challenge in the same way, the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi assured Centre’s full support to all the states. He added that the Ministry of Health is also in touch with the states and is monitoring the situation closely and issuing necessary suggestions to the states from time to time.

PM Modi said that there is a continuous effort to increase oxygen supply. All the concerned departments and ministries of the government are also working together. Industrial oxygen has also been diverted to meet immediate requirements.

PM Modi urged all 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. The PM 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 high-level 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. PM informed the Chief Ministers that yesterday he chaired a meeting on oxygen supply and will be attending one today to discuss all the options for increasing the oxygen supply.

PM Modi stated that the central government is working on all possible options to reduce the travel time and turnaround time of oxygen tankers. For this, Railways has started Oxygen Express.Empty Oxygen tankers are also being transported by the Air-Force to reduce one way travel time.