COVID: Maharashtra govt requests Centre to increase O2 allocation by 200 MT amid shortage

As India continues to reel under the unprecedented second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte on Tuesday, wrote a letter to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba to increase oxygen supply to the state by at least 200 metric tonnes. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday informed that the state administration has requested to Centre to provide 18 lakh doses of Coronavirus vaccines immediately. 

Maharashtra Chief Secy writes to Cabinet Secy

Highlighting that the Government of India is getting ISO tankers from Singapore, Dubai and other locations to facilitate LMO transport, Rajiv Gauba requested the Centre to allocate at least 10 LMO tankers to Maharashtra, to enable to state to lift medical oxygen from Steel Plant at Angul. 

Stating that Maharashtra continues to face an onslaught of the second wave of COVID pandemic, with a current active caseload of 6,63,758, of which, 78,884 admitted are on medical oxygen including 24,787 are in ICU, Rajiv Gauba in the letter wrote, "I request you that present allocation of the State be enhanced by at least 200 MT." This allocation may be enhanced at locations convenient to the State, he added. 

Read the full letter here:

Maharashtra govt deploys 50 Trax ambulances in Nanded

In an attempt to improve the Coronavirus crisis in the state, CM Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government has deployed 50 Trax ambulances in Nanded. These ambulances have been manufactured by Pune-based automaker Force Motors, to strengthen the healthcare delivery system and fight the spread of COVID-19. As per the release, these ambulances were flagged off on May 1 and will be used in ferrying patients from all parts of the Nanded district in Maharashtra. 

The Force Trax Ambulance is a rugged and reliable patient transport ambulance with all-terrain capability. This fully factory-built ambulance is built on an all-new modular next-gen utility vehicle platform with a new body and interiors, Force Motors said. The ambulance complies with all the latest regulations and is ideal for state government health departments, government hospitals, emergency service providers and corporate, it said.

"We are proud that the Nanded administration has reposed its trust on the proven Trax platform to ferry patients from all parts of Nanded district. We are pleased to be a part of this noble initiative to strengthen the healthcare delivery system and fight the spread of COVID-19," said Ashutosh Khosla, President sales and marketing, Force Motors.

Another shocking story of medical apathy from Maharashtra

Amid oxygen shortage across the country, another shocking story of medical apathy from Maharashtra has come to the fore. A man, whose oxygen level was low, visited a clinic in Osmanabad, where the doctors told him to go to a bigger hospital as there was no supply of medical oxygen in the clinic, fell outside the clinic grasping for his breath. As per reports, the man's body was lying outside the clinic for over 3 hours, until civic bodyworkers came and picked his mortal remains. 

COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra

As the current COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra continues to be alarming, CM Uddhav Thackeray has been repeatedly appealing to the people of the state to follow all guidelines and protocols. Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, Maharashtra has so far recorded over, 47,71,022 positive cases, out of which 40,41,158 have successfully recovered and 70,851 have died. As per the latest reports from MoHFW, in the past 24 hours, 48,621 new cases, 59,500  fresh recoveries and 567 deaths have been reported. Currently, the total number of active cases in the state is 6,59,013.

(Image: PTI, Twitter: CMOMaharashtra, Forcemotors.com)