PATNA: A projection is that Bihar may cross over 2 lakh positive cases of COVID-19 in over 10 days. So, the requirement for oxygen will also jump from 72 metric tons to 300 MT tons every day. Alarmed over a projection of a spike in the positive cases in the next 10 days, the state health department has placed a demand for 300MT oxygen daily from the central government.
Admitting this to the media, principal health secretary Pratyay Amrit said that a projection is that Bihar will cross over 2 lakh of positive cases over the next 10 or more days. He admitted also that if the projected figures come true over the next 10 days, the state’s daily requirement of oxygen will reach 300
MT tons of oxygen to save the lives of critical covid-19 patients.
“In fact, the state has been inhaling nearly 72 metric tons of oxygen till a few days ago but keeping the projected rise in the positive cases in the state, a request for 300 MT oxygen has been made to the central government”, he told the media, adding that the cryogenic oxygen plants will be set up in every district
soon to get additional backup of oxygen. He also said that beds for doctors and paramedic staff falling positive have been reserved in hospitals.
“Around 5.46 crore people of 18-44 age group have been identified to be vaccinated from May 1 onwards in the state. For this, the state government has decided to procure vaccine doses directly from the Serum Institute of India to cover the identified population for vaccination”, he said.
He said also that the vaccination of those above 45 years of age will continue but separate preparations would have to be made for those, above 18 years of age from May 1.
In fact, the situation in Bihar has turned alarming because of the rapidly dropping of the recovery rate from 99.28 % till March 15 to 80.3% till April 22.
As per official figures, the positivity rate of Bihar in COVID-19 cases has gone above 11.3%.
But taking surges in positive cases in the state, the central government has fixed the daily quota of 194 MT oxygen for Bihar.
Sharing this here on Friday, former deputy CM and MP (RS) Sushil Kumar Modi said: “After the Prime Minister’s intervention, a quota of 194 MT tons oxygen has been fixed for Bihar by the central government. He said: “The center will supply 194 MT tons oxygen daily to Bihar to ensure oxygen support to critical Covid-19 patients besides 24,500 vials of Remdisivir injections also approved for Bihar”.