Delhi govt to import 18 cryogenic tankers from Thailand, 21 oxygen plants from France

With Delhi facing a crippling shortage of life-saving oxygen, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said his government will import 18 cryogenic tankers from Thailand and 21 ready-to-use oxygen plants from France.

He said the situation has improved significantly in the past two days after the chaos witnessed last week due to an oxygen shortage.

Due to a shortage of tankers, the Delhi government was also facing problems in transporting its oxygen quota decided by the Centre, the chief minister said.

Within a month, the Delhi government will set up 44 oxygen plants at various hospitals, including 21 that will be imported from France. The Centre will install eight oxygen plants by April 30, Kejriwal said during an online briefing.

He thanked the Centre for providing five oxygen tankers to Delhi.

The Delhi government has urged the Centre to provide Indian Air Force aircraft for bringing oxygen tankers from Bangkok. The tankers will start arriving in Delhi from Wednesday, he stated.

"We are in talks with them and have received a positive response so far," he said.

Kejriwal, who had sought the help of chief ministers of other states and the country''s top industrialists to resolve the oxygen crisis in the national capital, said "tremendous" cooperation has been received, with many of the contributors wishing not to be named.

"We have received a positive response from many of them. Most of them have placed one condition only that they wish to remain anonymous. This is an example of their nobility and  I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to all the governments, industrialists and organisations that are helping us tide over these tough times."

The chief minister said that the number of SOS messages received from hospitals has reduced now as teams of the Centre and the Delhi government spent nights trying to overcome the oxygen shortage.

"Last week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday were particularly critical for Delhi. Oxygen was running low and we were fearful of a major mishap and deaths due to shortage," he said.

Saying that the current COVID 19 wave is extremely dangerous and contagious, he pointed to the growing demand for  ICU beds for serious patients.

The Delhi government will add 1,200 ICU beds by May 10, including 500 each associated with LNJP and GTB hospitals and 200 at Radha Soami Satsang Beas COVID centre, he added.