Ghaziabad Gurdwara Supplies Oxygen to Help Curb Crisis in Delhi

The oxygen cylinders are being provided free of cost.

Gurugram hospital asks Centre for uninterrupted oxygen supply.

(Photo: PTI)

A gurdwara in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has been able to source and provide what many big hospitals in the National Capital Region have been desperately searching for – oxygen for critically patients and that, too, free of cost.

Shri Gurdwara of the Singh Sabha in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, has managed to help at least 200 patients breathe easier since midnight yesterday.

Taking about how they are sourcing oxygen, the gurdwara committee said:

“We have formed 2-3 teams to organise 10-odd cylinders each. Some of the cylinders have been brought from as far as Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh and Rudrapur in Uttarakhand.”

Gurdwara Pradhan told NDTV

India's medical infrastructure has been blighted by an acute resource crunch in many places brought about by a massive surge in COVID-19 cases. Among things in shortage are hospital beds, drugs, vaccines, and most, importantly, oxygen, resulting in the administration in states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana having to move court for it.

Oxygen Crisis in Delhi

Delhi's COVID hospitals have been gasping for oxygen, with some having as low as two to three hours before they run out of oxygen.

As Delhi reports 24,638 new cases and 249 deaths on 22 April, unequal demand and supply of oxygen have made this a coveted medical necessity. Although there hasn't been any large-scale disaster so far, due to last-minute interventions, the city is standing on the very edge of this crisis, with more and more Delhi hospitals running low on oxygen every day.

On 21 April, for instance, state Health Minister Satyendra Jain had to appeal to the Centre on Twitter, to help with oxygen provisions, claiming that the GTB hospital had only a few hours' worth of supply left. The arrival of an oxygen tanker just in the nick of time averted a crisis.

The same day in Ganga Ram Hospital, where 120 patients on ICU beds was running out of oxygen, a last-minute supply of oxygen prevented this crisis from spiralling out of control.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has claimed that oxygen tankers coming into the city were blocked, as Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on 21 April counter-accused Delhi of “looting” the state’s oxygen supply.

But it's only after the Delhi High court took up an urgent hearing on 21 April, and directed the Centre to ensure oxygen supply, did the MHA put out an order on 22 April, saying that no restriction can be imposed on the movement of oxygen between states.