Only Punjab reported 4 deaths due to oxygen shortage: Mandaviya
Darpan News Desk IANS, 03 Dec, 2021 01:15 PM
New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that Punjab had reported four deaths due to shortage of Oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
Replying to a question during the 'Question Hour' in the Lower House, he said that the Centre has written to 19 states thrice seeking the data of the deaths caused due to the shortage of Oxygen but only the Punjab has reported.
The Minister also said that there had been a lot of politics on 'shortage of oxygen'.
Explaining the issue, he further mentioned that there was an average requirement of oxygen use to 1400 MT in the country but during the second wave of coronavirus, the demand surged to 9000 MT, which was an extraordinary situation.
But when the situation arose, the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi made all the possible measures to supply oxygen to the nook and corner of the country, Mandaviya said. He added that big empty containers were brought from abroad by the Indian Air Force and filled oxygen container by the Indian Navy ships were pressed into the service to bring oxygen to the country and we made adequate supply to all hospitals.
The Minister also said the states should not refrain from providing proper data on Covid-19 deaths. "We have repeatedly appealed to the states to provide data, and 19 states responded that there was no death reported due to shortage of Oxygen.
States respond to their respective HCs that there are no deaths, but they questioned the central government on the number of deaths in the country, the Minister further said.
"We have also asked the states to be prepared for further Covid-19 waves and assured that there is no Oxygen shortage this time, all Oxygen plants are operating at full capacity," Mandaviya said.
The health minister also informed the House that the Centre has allocated additional funds to each district hospital to prepare themselves for the next wave of this pandemic.
He also informed that the PSA plants set up under the PMCARE funds have been working in full capacity.
Bhartiya Kisan Union Tikait district vice president Balkar Singh had already made it clear that, "No political leader will be allowed to share the stage where only Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders will be present."
The incident took place on Tuesday during a demonstration by the BJP in front of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader's official residence over the Delhi Disaster Management Authority's (DDMA) order restricting celebration of Chhath Puja in the national capital.
The minister and his son are accused in the October 3 incident in which nine persons, including four farmers, were mowed down by SUVs. The minister's son Ashish Mishra has already been arrested.
It's likely that Sidhu will put forth the list of demands in the Punjab government as he is upset with the appointments in the government. He has resigned from the post of state president, but it has not been accepted yet by Sonia Gandhi. The meeting gains significance as it comes ahead of the CWC meeting.
The civil secretariat houses the top offices of the government, including those of the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and his advisors. Police tried to intervene to restrain the mourners from carrying out the sit-in outside the civil secretariat.
"My son will go to the police tomorrow and assist the probe. He has not escaped anywhere," Mishra said on his arrival in Lucknow. He said that his son was very much in their house in Lakhimpur.
