Punjab CM orders shutdown of industrial operations at iron and steel plants
Oxygen Shortage: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered the shutdown of operations in Punjab's iron and steel industries to divert Oxygen for medical use.
Even he ordered an immediate establishment of Oxygen Control Rooms at the state and district levels amid the escalating Oxygen shortage in the state, where 6 patients died of O2 shortage at a private hospital in Amritsar this morning.
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Captain Amarinder Singh has also directed DC Amritsar to initiate a thorough investigation into the tragic incident at the Amritsar hospital.
The DC has been asked to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to the deaths at the hospital, which prima facie seemed to have flouted orders given to all private hospitals with Oxygen shortage to shift their patients to Government Medical Colleges.
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The DC has set up a 2-member committee, comprising a PCS officer, Dr Rajat Oberoi (Deputy Director Local Bodies), who is also in charge of the death analysis committee, and a civil surgeon Amritsar, to probe the matter, an official spokesperson said later.
He also said he had already taken up the matter with the Centre, seeking an increase in quota on an urgent basis, and Chief Secretary, Vini Mahajan, was following it up.
The sudden influx of patients from neighbouring States had put an added burden on the oxygen requirement of Punjab, he noted.
Punjab has witnessed a sharp increase in demand over the past few days. Demand for Oxygen currently stands at 250 MT per day and is further expected to go up to 300 MT in the coming days on account of spiralling Covid cases.
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