Assure ‘No Deaths’ If Delhi Gets 700 Tonnes Oxygen Daily: Kejriwal

In his address on 6 May, Kejriwal appealed to to hospitals to reinstate their bed capacity.

File image of Arvind Kejriwal.

(Photo: PTI)

Delhi Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal in a public address on Thursday, 6 May, stated that his administration “won’t let anyone die” of oxygen shortage if the capital receives its daily requirement of 700 tonnes of oxygen supply every day from the Centre.

"If we get an adequate supply of oxygen – 700 tonnes – we will be able to set up 9,000-9,500 beds in Delhi. We shall be able to create oxygen beds. I assure you that we shall not let anyone die to a shortage of oxygen in Delhi," said the chief minister in his statement.

“Yesterday, (5 May) we received 730 tonnes, which meets our daily requirement and I thank the Central government and the Delhi HC for their actions,” Kejriwal added.

In his address on Thursday, Kejriwal also appealed to to hospitals to reinstate their bed capacity, which had been reduced to manage the wave of COVID cases in the city.

"Due to the oxygen crisis, hospitals had to reduce their bed capacity. I request all hospitals to now reinstate their bed capacity. I hope to receive 700 tonnes of oxygen every day," Kejriwal said.

Major hospitals across the capital have been signalling SOS for medical oxygen over the past month, with many pleading to the courts and the Delhi government for relief with only minutes of oxygen to spare.

India reported a record 4,12,262 fresh COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours and a record 3,980 deaths, according to figures provided by Ministry of Health.