PremiumThe central government on Thursday directed states to ensure free movement of vehicles carrying oxygen amid reports of some states diverting the vehicles for local use even as hospitals sent out frantic appeals for emergency supplies.
The home ministry invoked the stringent Disaster Management Act 2005, an emergency measure, to direct states to ensure the movement of oxygen tanks without any restriction of timings or other restraints. The order issued by Ajay Bhalla, secretary of the ministry of home affairs, follows reports that several states blocked the movement of oxygen to divert them to local hospitals.
India reported 316,000 new infections on Thursday, a single-day record, overwhelming the country’s fragile health care system. Hospitals ran low on oxygen, critically ill patients failed to find hospital beds, key medicines remained in short supply, and crematoriums operated non-stop as bodies piled up.
The government said medical oxygen is an essential public health commodity, and any impediment in the supplies may put lives of patients at risk.
“No restrictions shall be imposed on oxygen manufacturers and suppliers to limit the supplies only to the hospitals of the state or UT in which they are located. No authority shall attach the oxygen-carrying vehicles passing through the district or areas for making supplies specific to any particular district(s) or area," the order stated.
To ensure compliance, the central government has made district magistrates, deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police or superintendents of police or deputy commissioners of police personally liable for implementation of directions and any violation. An Empowered Group-II (EG-II) for covid management, a panel tasked with coordinating medical logistics, has recommended that the supply of oxygen for industrial use be prohibited from 22 April till further orders. Nine specified industries have been exempted.
Hospitals across the country continued to complain about shortages of oxygen.
“This is an #SOS call from Fortis to allow oxygen tanker from Bhiwadi to reach our hospital #ASAP," Fortis healthcare tweeted, tagging the Prime Minister’s office. Metro Hospital in east Delhi also complained that it was running low on oxygen.
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia appealed to the central government on Thursday to prevent Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments from diverting oxygen supply meant for Delhi. Sisodia said that until Wednesday, Delhi only received 177 tonnes of oxygen instead of its quota of 378 tonnes. Sisodia said he received several complaints, including from Saroj Hospital, Rathi Hospital, UK Hospital and Jeevan Hospital, about the supply. Sisodia alleged officials of the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments stopped oxygen delivery from reaching Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review oxygen supply and discuss ways to boost availability.
Modi maintained the need to fix responsibility with the local administration in cases of obstruction.
He also asked ministries to explore innovative ways to increase the production and supply of oxygen.
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