Punjab CM warns of action against black-marketing or hoarding of Oxygen

Taking stock of the continuing Oxygen shortage in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday warned of strict action against black marketing, hoarding, or private profiteering of oxygen cylinders or smuggling out of Punjab, especially when oxygen allocation of Punjab was itself not being met. Even as Captain Amarinder Singh urged all good private hospitals to increase beds. He said that there would be supplied adequate Oxygen by the government agencies and no punitive action will be taken in case of any mishap due to lack of Oxygen. Also Read | Coronavirus India: PM Narendra Modi a ‘super-spreader’ of COVID-19, says IMA Vice President The Chief Minister was chairing a virtual Covid emergency review meeting of these 6 districts – Ludhiana, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Jalandhar, Bathinda, Patiala, and Amritsar. Even as Health Minister Balbir Sidhu expressed concern over people of Punjab not getting space due to patients coming from outside, the Chief Minister said he was not in favour of refusing hospital care to any patient from other states like Haryana and Delhi, despite the criticality of Oxygen supplies. Also Read | FACT CHECK: Will there be lockdown from May 3? “We must not refuse any patient who needs hospital care,” he said, adding that “we will never close our doors to any patient.” Stressing that “they (patients coming from other states) are our people, as India is one country,” he said, "they are welcome to come and we will look after them as our own.” As per the estimates, one-fourth of the beds in Punjab are at present occupied by patients from outside the state, the meeting was informed. On the issue of Oxygen shortage in Punjab, the Chief Minister further said he had spoken to the Union Home Minister for additional Oxygen allocation and will also ask the Centre for more tankers. Click here to follow PTC News on Twitter -PTC News

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