Manish Sisodia hits out at Centre, states for stopping oxygen supply

New Delhi: As people in the national capital are grappling with the second wave of coronavirus, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia lashed out at Cente and other states for allegedly blocking medical oxygen supply to Delhi.  

"Many hospitals in Delhi facing the oxygen crisis right now. Oxygen is completely exhausted in some hospitals. I have been receiving messages & emails from hospitals since morning. We are somehow providing them cylinders by rearranging from other hospitals that have slightly more stock," he added.

Hearing the petitions related to oxygen shortage, Delhi High Court suggested that let oxygen firm Inox continue to supply to Delhi and Panipat plant to Haryana.

However, Advocate Rahul Mehra, representing Delhi, informed the Court that Saroj Hospital & Shanti Mukund Hospital will run out of oxygen soon. 

"The supply is being stopped in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. We are unable to contact oxygen firm Inox," he added.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that his government is making all the efforts to airlift its enhanced quota of oxygen supply from Odisha.

"I also spoke to Chief Minister Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar ji and sought his support in facilitating the transport of oxygen trucks from Haryana to Delhi," he added. 

Kejriwal further thanked the Centre and the High Court for their efforts towards raising Delhi's oxygen quota for treating COVID 19 patients, and said the supplies have started reaching the national capital. 

He said Delhi had a daily quota of 378 MT of medical oxygen that has been increased to 480 MT by the Centre but more supplies are needed as according to estimates Delhi needs 700 MT of oxygen daily.

Delhi recorded 24,638 fresh COVID-19 cases and 249 deaths due to the viral disease on Wednesday while the positivity rate stood at 31.28 per cent, meaning almost every third sample tested positive.