India is currently witnessing the second wave of COVID and we have seen a sudden spike in the number of active cases, while the healthcare infrastructure has been undergoing a massive pressure to cater an unprecedented number of patients.
While the entire nation is indulged in it best capacity to fight this menace of Corona, the AAP-led Delhi government is behaving exactly the opposite. Everyone knows that Delhi has been hit by an unprecedented medical oxygen crisis in the last 2 weeks. The situation is so bad that many Covid-19 patients have died waiting for beds with oxygen support, whereas thousands of people are trying their best to make arrangements of medical oxygen for their friends and family members at any cost.
As per our expectation, the Delhi government blames the Central government and accuses it of allocating inadequate oxygen for Delhi. However, if we dig deeper and check the facts, then you will find that this crisis has been caused by its own failings. We are going one step ahead and saying that this crisis is an AAP creation indeed.
In this article, we will provide some insights about the possible cause of this oxygen crisis.
Demand-supply imbalance
Arvind Kejriwal says that there is a demand-supply imbalance. Delhi Govt says “Delhi needs 976 MT of oxygen, but it was only yesterday that we started getting more than 500 MT. On April 19 and 20, when the oxygen crisis first began to unfold in the city, Delhi used to receive only 241 to 355 MT every day”.
Initially, the Delhi govt projected demand for 700 MT per day till April 28th, and now it has revised its demand to 976 MT. The Centre has already increased Delhi’s quota of oxygen from April 21, when it first raised it from 378 MT to 480 MT; then on April 30 to 490 MT; and then on May 1 to 590 MT. However, this demand is too high if we compare it with other states.
However, the crisis is more of supply chain management and distribution within Delhi, and this is where the Kejriwal government falters big time. There are many experts who maintan that Kejriwal government must have taken, but they never took these steps.
AAP’s faulty Supply Chain Management
The biggest issue with Delhi Government is that they don’t have a full-fledged delivery system, and it can not lift its allocated oxygen supply from the Center. It doesn’t have enough cryogenic tankers, and Kejriwal didn’t put any effort to purchase cryogenic tankers either.
Whereas, other states did make adequate arrangements of procuring the cryogenic tankers, whereas Kejriwal was busy spending moolah in advertisements to make his image. Delhi’s government was more focused on accusing and blaming the Central government and demanding extra allocation from the Centre, but it didn’t pay any attention to the supply chain and transportation of oxygen tankers.
Kejriwal was instead making some frivolous claims that he procuring 18 cryogenic tankers from Bangkok, which later identified as an initiative of the NRI business group. Kejriwal also claimed that his government is procuring 21 Oxygen plants from France, though this was an initiative of the Indian government, he seems more interested in taking the credit for the same.
Kejriwal broadcasted the confidential meeting of PM with CMs and with folded hands, he requested PM Modi to start Oxygen express, which was immediately countered by the PM himself, who reminded him that Oxygen express is working for a while.
Even in the high court, Railways stated that they are ready with several rakes for several days but the Delhi government could not arrange for tankers to lift the oxygen. High Court hammered the Delhi Government on this issue, but Kejriwal still not paying any attention to this front.
Delhi Government’s pathetic internal distribution system
You may be shocked to know that the Delhi government had no daily hospital-wise allocation plan for oxygen until a week ago. The hospitals had direct contracts with oxygen suppliers and this faulty arrangement went haywire with the sudden spike in demand for oxygen. It was only on 22nd April when the Kejriwal government was forced to start giving daily schedules of allocation to every hospital. But, it was again a pathetic plan, which didn’t fetch any positive outcomes.
Delhi High Court rapped the Kejriwal government and then only the Kejriwal government issued an order prescribing quantities of oxygen to be used by each hospital in Delhi on 29th April. The credit must go to the Delhi High Court, which directed the Delhi government to increase and decrease the oxygen supply to different hospitals depending on the total quantum received in the city on any specific day.
Delhi’s hospitals were sending SOS calls to Delhi Government, but Kejriwal didn’t pay any attention. Then several hospitals shared their distress calls on social media, then only the Delhi government waked up and set up a helpline on April 22, to coordinate with all hospitals and cater to their demands and address their grievances.
No PSA Plants by Delhi Government
Delhi government didn’t construct any PSA oxygen plant in last one year, that too when Central government had sanctioned the amount for Delhi. The Kejriwal government has 11 hospitals under it, and the Centre proposed to install PSA oxygen plants in eight of them, but the Kejriwal government installed only be plant till now.
When the oxygen crisis was mounting, then only on 27th April Kejriwal did something which he loves the most, a press conference. He announced that his government will import 21 PSA plants from France, but that remains on paper till now. Sensing the mess created by the Kejriwal Government, the Central Government stepped in and roped in DRDO to install such plants on a war footing.
High Court was extremely angry with AAP government, that it made a scathing remark against the Kejriwal government, it said “Enough is enough. If you can’t do this, tell us, we will ask the central government to take over these (oxygen refilling) plants. We can’t let people die,”
No planning and late call for help
There is no doubt that Delhi could have planned better during January-February, when cases had plummeted to the lowest. Kejriwal’s government failed miserably on several fronts and it was unable to put in curbs, implement lockdown, work with the Central government, and plan for augmentation of beds and oxygen.
Delhi Government could have planned better considering all other countries had a second wave. When it comes to planning about beds, medicines, or oxygen, it all depends on predictions of how much the intensity of the second wave is likely to be. Because of lockdown during the first wave, Kejriwal government did not see as many fatalities. It should have planned and prepared for a fivefold increase in intensity, and accordingly must have made the necessary arrangements. However, Kejriwal was more interested in running advertisement and shoot and scoot tactics to encircle the Modi government.
AAP indulged in Oxygen and Medicine Hoarding
This is the last thing a government can do to their own people, but alas, Delhiites are bound to face this. People were shocked when they got the news of oxygen cylinder hoarding by AAP MLA Imran Hussain.
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to Aam Aadmi Party legislator Imran Hussain in a plea alleging hoarding of oxygen cylinders at his office. The plea was moved by Vedansh Sharma who alleged that the Delhi cabinet Minister was “hoarding the oxygen cylinder at a time when the entire Delhi is in the crisis of the supply of the oxygen“.
Delhi Police has arrested two close aides of AAP MLA Amanatullah, who is known for his closeness to Arvind Kejriwal. These incidents prove beyond any doubt that AAP is playing this evil game of oxygen and medicine hoarding, and it is creating an environment of mistrust for the Central Government and scoring brownie points on the dead bodies of innocent people.
