'Need Urgent Help To Transport Oxygen, Have Approached Army, Centre & Private Sector': Manish Sisodia

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia while speaking to media on Monday told that the national capital received 440 MT of oxygen on Sunday, which is lower than the allocated quota of 590 MT. He said that 976 MT oxygen is required daily as the administration is increasing the number of beds. 

Amid acute shortage of oxygen in the national capital due to rising cases of Coronavirus, Delhi has sought help from different sources including the Army, Central government and private sector for transporting oxygen.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia while speaking to media on Monday told that the national capital received 440 MT of oxygen on Sunday, which is lower than the allocated quota of 590 MT. He said that 976 MT oxygen is required daily as the administration is increasing the number of beds. 

"We need urgent help to transport oxygen. We have sought help from different sources including the Army, Central government & its different wings, and private sector," the Deputy CM said. 

According to media reports, Sisodia in a letter to Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh requested the army to arrange for the supply for medical oxygen for the Covid health facilities in national capital. "It will be a timely help to the people of Delhi if the ministry of defence, with the considerable resources at its command, is tasked with the responsibility to provide and man the additional Covid health facilities as per the current projections," Sisodia said. 

The Deputy CM today also visited vaccination centres to inspect the phase-3 drive of the COVID-19 vaccination. Breifing the media about availability of vaccines here, Sisodia said, "Vaccination has started at 76 schools of Delhi Govt today. With this, vaccination has begun at 301 centres for 18-45 age group. Our target is to make 10 centres at a school. We received 4.5 lakh vaccine doses on May 1. We're in touch with vaccine manufacturers. We have given appointments to 45,150 people for vaccination today. People are very eager for taking the vaccines. We hope for 100 percent turnout." 

Meanwhile, India reported 3,68,147 new COVID 19 cases and 3,417 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. With this, the tally of total cases till date stand at  1,99,25,604 while the death toll has been pushed to 2,18,959. There are as many as 34,13,642 active cases of Coronavirus in the country which  16,29,3003 have been recovered.