With an acute shortage of oxygen in the national capital, and caretakers of Covid-19 patients struggling to get the life-saving gas, the Delhi government has come up with an online facility to supply oxygen to those in home isolation.
In order to tackle the chaos around the oxygen crisis in the city, the Delhi government has launched an online facility on its website -delhi.gov.in.
READ: Corona Crisis: Here's How To Check Oxygen Status At Hospitals On 'Delhi Corona' App
Those requiring oxygen can apply with a valid photo id, Aadhar card details, Covid positive report, and other documents like CT scan report if available, an order by the Delhi government read, as per the news agency ANI.
To tackle the situation, district magistrates have been given the responsibility to identify "dedicated dealers/depots to distribute such cylinders to individuals who shall not be redirected to refilling plants under any circumstances".
"The district magistrates shall ensure that the adequate number of office personnel are assigned to scrutinize all incoming applications and issue e-passes quickly as time is of the essence in such cases," the order read.
“This may be accorded top priority. The DMs shall ensure that the dealers regularly get their cylinders refilled from the designated refilling plants," it added.
Based on the stock availability, the district magistrates will issue a pass having the date, time and address of the dealer/depot from where the oxygen cylinder can be issued/exchanged.
The new system will be in a position to streamline the oxygen supply in the capital, as per the government. This facility will also be extended to ambulances, non-covid hospitals and nursing homes as well.
According to the Delhi government order, a provision of lump-sum allocation of oxygen (to be given through cylinders) for individuals, non-Covid hospitals, nursing homes, ambulances, and SOS cylinders of Covid hospitals running on LMO had already been made against re-fillers with each district being assigned a re-filler.
"However, reports are being received of long queues at cylinder refilling plants also leading to public safety and public health hazard issues," it said.
A common pool of oxygen cylinders is being created in every district for patients in home isolation and to meet the emergency needs of the city’s hospitals. In each district, a bus depot of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will serve as the hub that will be initially stocked with 20 oxygen cylinders, said a transport department order.
This portal has been created "to streamline the entire system of distribution of the lump-sum allocation under the supervision of district magistrates and also in order to facilitate the public to access these cylinders with certainty", the order said.