Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to slap the National Security Act against hospital managements spreading lies and creating panic over allegations of oxygen shortage during the ongoing second wave of coronavirus.
To expose lies and rumours about oxygen shortage and the attribution of deaths to a lack of oxygen, the Chief Minister had already ordered an oxygen audit of all government and private hospitals across the state.
IIM Lucknow has already joined hands with the IIT Kanpur and BHU to develop software for the oxygen audit in state’s private and government hospitals.
“The state has adequate oxygen stock. But a conspiracy has been hatched to tarnish the image of the government by peddling lies about false oxygen shortage. The NSA will be slapped against such hospitals and rumour-mongers,” he warned.
The Chief Minister has also directed all private hospitals to provide Remdevisir injections to critical patients free of cost. “The state government has made available an adequate stock of Remedevisir injections to all government and private covid hospitals for critical patients free of cost. The government will bear the cost,” he said.
“A few hospitals had reported oxygen shortage. But they were found to have adequate stock when an inspection was conducted. The Chief Minister has directed to initiate action against such hospitals for spreading lies,” clarified the Additional Chief Secretary Information Navneet Sehgal.
Sehgal said that any hospital, private or government, can approach the district magistrate or CMO if they are facing any problem in oxygen procurement. He claimed that a separate cell has been opened at the command centre to monitor oxygen supply and demand in all hospitals across the state.
Sehgal claimed that two Oxygen Express trains have arrived in Lucknow and five tankers supplied more oxygen by roads. The state government has also ordered 5,000 Jumbo oxygen cylinders which will be kept as buffer stock for emergency purposes, he added.
“The state has also approached Tata and Reliance for more supplies. We have adequate oxygen in stock. Hospitals have been advised to keep buffer stock for 36 hours to avoid any emergency situation,” said the ACS.
Sehgal claimed that a closed plant of Bharat Pumps and Compressors Limited in Prayagraj has been asked to reopen and start manufacturing cylinders to meet the demand for empty cylinders for oxygen refill. The state government has already placed an order for 3,000 empty cylinders.
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