No oxygen in at least 6 Delhi hospitals; High Court orders Centre to raise Delhi's quota to 700 MT
Delhi/IBNS: There is no medical oxygen available in at least six private hospitals in the national capital, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in the evening.
The tweet came in a short while after Delhi High Court ordered the Centre to provide Delhi its complete quota of oxygen.
Two hospitals--Saroj Super Specialty Hospital and Shanti Mukund Hospital--have been flagging their depleting oxygen stock since Thursday morning.
Saroj Super Specialty Hospital approached the High Court for release of oxygen today after which oxygen supplier INOX delivered a few hours supply.
According to media reports, the Centre increased Delhi's oxygen quota to 500 MT yesterday, though the Delhi government sought to increase its quota to 700 MT.
The oxygen is being sourced from faraway states like Odisha and Bengal which is also posing difficulties in replenishing the oxygen supply.
An NDTV report said that the Delhi High Court today ordered the Centre to ensure oxygen supply to the national capital via dedicated corridor and paramilitary forces' protection to tankers even as the Centre told the states that there can be no restriction on the movement of oxygen.
Yesterday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said a Delhi bound oxygen tanker was stopped in Haryana's Faridabad by an official and asked the Centre to intervene and resolve the situation.
"No restrictions shall be imposed on oxygen manufacturers and suppliers to limit the oxygen supplies only to hospitals of the state or Union Territory in which they are located," read a government order.
Oxygen supply to industries was also stopped a day ahead of the schedule after High Court reprimanded the Centre for not immediately implementing its order in this connection.
On Thursday, India logged 3,14,835 new Covid infections, the world's highest in the last 24 hours, and a record 2,104 deaths.
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