COVID-19 | Gujarat urges Centre to raise oxygen allocation to State

The Gujarat authorities has requested the Centre to raise to 1,400 metric tonnes the allocation of medical oxygen to the State by May 12, saying that due to the scarcity of the life-saving fuel, it was unable to operationalise 11,500 extra beds for COVID-19 sufferers.

It mentioned that the Centre’s present allocation of 975 metric tonnes (MT) is means beneath the necessities of the State.

“The Government of India has not increased the allocation of [medical oxygen to] Gujarat beyond 975MT, which is creating tremendous distress to the patients seeking hospitalisation and oxygen therapy, resulting in denial of medical treatment to needy despite availability of beds and qualified personnel in hospitals,” Gujarat Chief Secretary Anil Mukim mentioned in a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

The letter written on May 6 was annexed to an affidavit that the State authorities filed on Friday within the Supreme Court, which was listening to a suo motu PIL on points associated to COVID-19.

There is an instantaneous demand of 1,190 MT liquid medical oxygen in Gujarat, Mr. Mukim mentioned.

The whole variety of oxygen beds (within the State) have gone up from 53,913 on April 26, when the extra allocation was sought, to 57,368, due to a rise in COVID-19 instances, the letter mentioned.

Accordingly, Gujarat’s requirement of medical oxygen has gone up from projected 1,250 MT (as on April 30), to 1,400 MT for immediately (May 6) and is probably going to enhance to 1,600 tonnes by May 15, Mr. Mukim mentioned within the letter.

Despite mobilising extra oxygen from all ASU/PSA crops, and many others, the State shouldn’t be ready to meet the rising demand for oxygen and as a consequence, shouldn’t be ready to operationalise extra 11,500 beds, created with oxygen line, only for need of oxygen, he added.

This is inflicting super misery in rural areas, as a result of now the COVID-19 instances are choosing up there and but, hospitalisation with oxygen remedy shouldn’t be obtainable leading to lengthy wait earlier than the hospital admission, the letter mentioned.

“Under these circumstances, I request you to immediately enhance allocation of medical liquid oxygen under Central allocation to Gujarat to 1,200 MT for today (May 6) and 1,400 MT for May 12,” Mr. Mukim mentioned.

Meanwhile, in the identical affidavit, the State authorities mentioned that it has administered 2,24,749 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 18-44 age group until May 5 and orders have been positioned for 2 crore doses of Covishield from Serum Institute of India in Pune and 50 lakh doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad on April 25 for that function.

As far as timeline for vaccination of the 18-44 age group is anxious, it is determined by the provision of the vaccines, it mentioned.

The State is sustaining steady contact and follow-ups with the producers for the early provide of vaccines, it mentioned.

For individuals above the age of 45, as whole of three,95,920 doses of Covishield and a pair of,00,490 doses of Covaxin can be found, the federal government mentioned.

In phrases of mattress availability for COVID-19 sufferers, there have been 1,05,701 beds throughout 2,446 establishments as on May 6, out of which 59,186 are oxygen beds and 13,733 are ICU beds. There are 6,407 ventilators in Gujarat.

The variety of beds was 42,000 within the first week of April, it mentioned.