Centre on how many oxygen beds are available to tackle Covid crisis

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday informed

Rajya Sabha

that there are over 4.25

lakh

oxygen-supported isolation beds in the country as of July 23 to manage the Covid-19 situation.

Responding to a question, minister of state for health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply that as many as 57,518 ventilator beds are available in the country according to data submitted by states.

Pawar further informed the upper house that on April 21, 2021, 62,458 oxygen-supported isolation beds were available throughout the country. As of March 30, 2020, a total of 14,440 ventilator beds were available, the minister added.

The figures assume significance as India witnessed a crippling shortage of oxygen and ICU beds during the devastating second wave of the virus.

In April and May, there were reports that hospitals in several states such as Maharashtra, Delhi and

Uttar

Pradesh were forced to turn away Covid patients due to unavailability of beds.

The Centre and states have since taken several measures to augment the availability of beds in the event of a possible third Covid wave hitting the country.

Pawar, in another reply, said the central government has sanctioned 1,573 PSA oxygen generation plants with a capacity of 1771.76 MT to be set up in public health facilities across the country.