PM Modi reviews medical oxygen situation to ensure adequate supply amid Covid-19 surge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a comprehensive review to ensure adequate medical grade oxygen supply in the country amid the surge in coronavirus infections.

According to Prime Minister's Officer (PMO), inputs from ministries like Health, DPIIT, Steel, Road and Transport were also shared with PM Modi. He stressed that it's important to ensure synergy across ministries and state governments, the PMO said.

The Prime Minister was also informed States and transporters have been asked to ensure tankers move round the clock with drivers working in shifts to ensure faster turnaround and adequate capacity to meet the demand. Cylinder filling plants will also be permitted 24-hour working with necessary safeguards, it said.

The PMO further stated that the government allowed industrial cylinders for medical oxygen after due purging. Nitrogen and argon tankers will be automatically allowed to be converted to oxygen tankers to overcome the potential shortage of tankers. Officers also briefed PM Modi about efforts to import medical grade oxygen.

This comes amid several states witnessing a shortage of the anti-viral drug Remdesivir and medical oxygen as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the country.

Meanwhile, India has reported more than two lakh infections today for the second consecutive day. As many as 2,17,353 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the biggest single-day spike ever, taking the overall tally to 14,291,917 cases on Friday, according to the Health Ministry data.

Also in the last 24 hours, there were 1,185 new Covid-19 fatalities, the second consecutive day with over a thousand deaths. This took the overall death toll in the country to 1,74,308.