Ramp up Oxygen Provisions Under Plan B, Get Ready for 6 Lakh COVID Cases a Day: Empowered Group-1 under Dr Paul

New Delhi: An Empowered Group of Officers under Niti Aayog Member for Health, Dr V K Paul have recommended "extraordinary measures to ramp up oxygen provision" under a 'Plan B' to meet a surge of 6 lakh new COVID cases a day.

The report submitted about 10 days back (just days before the country saw several deaths due to lack of oxygen) group had told authorities, including the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), to take immediate measures for oxygen provision to meet a surge of 3 lakh new cases a day by April 20, and a surge of 5 lakh new cases a day by end of April. Read more

The Empowered Group -1 (EG-1) had suggested informing the Empowered Group-2 under Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) about the situation to ensure essential medical equipment including medical oxygen to affected states.

The MoH&FW said that the Centre has requested the urgent need for equipment for states to consider strict COVID management and control measures in affected areas to bring the situation under control.

Last September, the EG-1 on 'medical infrastructure' had said that to meet a surge of 3 lakh new cases a day, the country needed 1.6 lakh ICU beds, and 3.6 lakh non-ICU beds. It also said that 75 per cent of non-ICU beds should be enabled for oxygen delivery.

Also, in its third report on 'Health System Preparedness Needs' for September-November 2020, the Group said unless containment strategies were intensified, India would face surges of about 3 lakh new cases by the second week of November and early December.

Meanwhile, India has witnessed a new highest single-day spike in the cases of the novel coronavirus as a deadly second wave sweeps the country. India reported 3.52 lakh new cases and 2,812 COVID-induced fatalities, taking the total active caseload in the country to 28.07 lakh cases. So far, there have been 1.95 lakh COVID-induced deaths from across the nation. The fresh surge in the cases of this deadly infectious disease takes the total tally of cases to 1.73 crores. Today marks the fifth consecutive day that India reported over 3 lakh cases on a daily basis. A staggering 10 lakh cases have been reported in the last 72 hours. Read more

Narendra Modi on Sunday said that 551 medical oxygen generation plants will be set up using the PM-Cares Fund all across the country.

The Indian Air Force and the Indian Railways have extended their services in the transportation of oxygen and transportation of empty cryogenic oxygen containers.

Also Read: 551 oxygen plants to be setup through PM CARES

Also Watch: 22 Dead in Nashik After Oxygen Tank Leaks in COVID Hospital