Some states moved court with inflated O2 demand: Mandaviya
NEW DELHI: Punjab reported four suspected deaths due to lack of oxygen during the second Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) wave, of the 19 states that responded to Union government’s request to share the number of such deaths, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament on Friday.
He hit out at the opposition over claims that the Centre hid deaths due to oxygen shortage during the bruising second wave of the pandemic, and said the government sought data from all states on the matter.
“Government made all efforts possible to ensure oxygen supplies reached to states but some did not stop from politicising the issue even during this crisis. They approached Court showing inflated oxygen requirements and elicited orders for more supplies. Even deaths due to lack of oxygen were politicized”, said the health minister.
“I want to say that the Prime Minister said at the chief ministers’ meeting that there was no need to hide the number of deaths. The Centre always said during all the meetings with states that there is no need to hide the deaths due to oxygen shortage or Covid in general; all deaths should be reported. The Centre wrote several letters to states asking relevant information, of which… only Punjab said in writing that the state reported four suspected deaths and those were being investigated. We have worked sincerely and made it all public,” said the health minister. He also asked the opposition parties to stop politicising the issue, and take note of the Centre’s efforts to ramp up oxygen production to meet the increased demand during the surge. Addressing the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour, he said the Union government made “all possible efforts” to ensure the availability of oxygen and increased its production following a rise in demand during the second wave of the pandemic.
“In various states 1225 PSA oxygen plants are already functional; and 3829 PSA plants are currently being established. I have begun taking certificates of successful installation from states so that we know for sure the plants are working well,” he added during the discussion on Covid in Lok Sabha. PSA stands for pressure swing adsorption, a technology that extracts oxygen from ambient air. An oxygen digital tracking system to track the daily allocation of oxygen, their dispatch and deliveries, including movement of oxygen tankers has also been developed and put in place, he said.