Farmers Movement Archive

No shortage of oxygen, ICU beds, ventilators in Haryana: Khattar

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that there is no need to panic as there is no shortage of oxygen, ICU beds and ventilators in state.During his visit to Karnal, the CM said that the number of Covid cases have increased four-fold, leading to pressure on hospitals but now efforts are being made to ensure supply of oxygen. Patients from Delhi are also coming to Haryana for treatment.Over supply of oxygen in state, the CM said the Centre has also increased Haryana’s oxygen quota from 162 MT to 232 MT but the state requires around 300 MT oxygen every day and this has already been conveyed to the Centre.He said that supply of an increased quota of 70 MT will be made from Odisha and efforts are being made to ensure speedy arrival of oxygen from there via trains and by air.Khattar said that due to failure in oxygen plant at Roorkee, Uttarakhand, which supplies 20 MT oxygen everyday to Haryana, the supply of oxygen was hit but it will be restored soon.Earlier, the CM had held a meeting with officials of the district administration. He inaugurated a 30-bed ICU in the Covid ward of KCGMCH.He added that patients from Delhi are coming to Haryana for treatment as there is shortage of remdesivir injection and oxygen in some states.Over the protests by attendants of patients in hospitals across state, the CM said that there was problem with small private hospitals that were not on board but they are now admitting Covid patients.He said that strict action will be taken against people involved in black-marketing of oxygen and remdesivir.On allegations by the Opposition that spread of Covid is government’s failure, he said Opposition leaders should not politicise this issue and support the government in its fight against the virus.The CM inspected oxygen storage plant and said another tack of 10,000 kg liquid oxygen will be set up in the hospital. During a meeting, Karnal deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav told Khattar that of 444 oxygen beds only four are empty and of total 228 ICU beds, 19 are empty, but there is no shortage of oxygen.Khattar, while reviewing the Covid situation in Ambala, said he has instructed the officials concerned to take action against private hospitals for admitting infected patients without authorisation.“It has come to our notice that small private hospitals treating general illness have started taking Covid infected patients,” Khattar said at a civil hospital in city.Khattar met some patients at the trauma centre and OPD of the civil hospital and inspected the upcoming oxygen plant here.The CM said, “There is difficulty in meeting demands of essential drugs and injections at some places as these are coming in less quantity, hence a board of doctors has been constituted to allocate these only to those who genuinely need them.”In Yamunanagar, the CM chaired a meeting and inspected arrangements at ESI Hospital, Jagadhari. He said the administration and police are keeping an eye on those hoarding essential or non-essential commodities in state.Khattar also visited Jind civil hospital to check preparations made for Covid patients.FARMERS OPPOSE CM’S VISITAfter getting information of the CM’s visit to Jind, farmers protesting against Centre’s three farm laws reached near the PWD rest house but till then, the CM’s helicopter had taken off.The farmers alleged that the district administration had arranged the CM’s visit after declaring that area as a containment zone so that they cannot oppose the visit.Farmers thereafter moved towards local BJP MLA Krishan Midda’s residence and held a protest for over two hours. Farmers tried to break the barricading outside the MLA’s residence to stop farmers but police somehow pacified them.“We have called a sarv khap mahapanchayat on May 3 at Khatkar toll plaza where we will take further decisions against BJP-JJP leaders,” the farmers added.

Hindustan Times

29-04-2021

Other