Keypoints:
- Last month, state public health department had directed oxygen manufacturers to divert 80% of their stocks for medical purpose and 20% of their stocks for industrial purpose.
- Due to surge in case and alarming situation, state government is considering to divert that 20% also for medical purpose, said CM Uddhav Thackeray.
On Saturday, CM Uddhav Thackeray said that Maharashtra is recording over half of the daily Covid cases in India. Due to the alarming situation caused by the surge in Covid-19 cases, the state government is considering to divert all oxygen supplies for medical use.
Since the demand for oxygen is surging due to rise in COVID positive cases, the state public health department had directed oxygen manufacturers to divert 80 per cent of their stocks for medical use and retain the rest 20 per cent for industrial purposes. CM Thackeray has said that the state government is considering to divert that 20% also for medical use.
“If there comes a time when someone’s livelihood has to be snatched, there is bound to be anguish. But if there is a dilemma on whether to save a life or a job, then it is important to give priority to life,” Thackeray said.
“We have been telling people since last one year. I feel that if all people, be it private offices or shops, had implemented our directives of staggered duty hours, then maybe the situation would not have reached such an alarming level,” he said.
CM also said that office timings should have been divided into 24 hours. “If staggered timings had been followed, there would have been less strain on local trains and BEST city buses. Unfortunately, this did not happen,” he said.
“We have also stressed on wearing masks, using hand sanitisers and keeping a safe distance. Even the WHO says so. It says that even a person who has been vaccinated needs to follow these rules,” Thackeray said.
“So it is not that we did not try. Last year we sent teams to houses. It was possible as there was a lockdown. Even contact tracing of affected persons has become difficult now,” he said.
“There should be no politics in this fight against coronavirus,” Thackeray said while referring to the claim by BJP leaders over his government’s handling of the pandemic.
