Efforts of Delhi govt not up to the mark: MHA on oxygen crisis | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The ministry of home affairs has blamed the oxygen crisis in Delhi, in spite of the Centre having allocated it 480 MT on April 21, on the state having received less supply than its actual allocation due to “logistical issues which are not all addressed by the state government”.
Citing the example of other states and UTs that had been making diligent and continuous efforts at their level for the last few days to arrange tankers for the allocated quantity of medical oxygen, including converting some nitrogen/argon tankers into oxygen tankers, home secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a letter written to Delhi chief secretary Vijay Dev on April 25, said the Delhi government had hardly been able to arrange any tankers despite many crucial days having passed since the Centre made the allotment.
“ While other states/UTs have been making earnest and professional efforts to solve all logistical issues and are being actively aided by Government of India officials…. Efforts of Delhi government have not been up to the mark,” noted Bhalla.
The home secretary said the Delhi government had directed oxygen supplier INOX to supply 98 MT to 17 of Delhi’s hospitals, when it was supplying 105 MT to 45 hospitals here for a long time. Furthermore, alternative arrangements for the remaining 28 hospitals were not properly tied up by the state government, he added.
Stating that these hospitals were complaining of severe oxygen shortage, with one blaming it to some deaths, the Central government officer said a proper consultation with the stakeholders including suppliers and recipient hospitals, would have averted this situation.
Also pointing to the fact that most Delhi hospitals had been converted into Covid facilities, the home secretary said such hospitals would not have adequate capacity to store oxygen as per present requirements. “A virtual meeting with all hospitals in Delhi, taking stock of their respective capacities and infrastructure, guiding them to suitably augment their storage/pressure facilities to the required level with the help of experts of the field would have avoided tragic incidents,” he noted.
Bhalla underlined that such logistical issues must be tackled on a war footing with the state government taking the initiative. He said the Delhi government may consider creation of an effective control room and such other initiatives “to manage this unprecedented crisis in the most scientific, effective and professional manner” while utilizing all resources at its command.
The home secretary signed off by saying that it was extremely important for the Centre and state/UT governments to work in tandem to tackle the current Covid crisis and minimize human suffering. “I will request you to take urgent, effective, innovative and result-oriented measures like the chief secretaries of other states/UTs have taken,” he told Dev.

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