Amid the surge in covid cases in the Maharashtra, patients are struggling to find beds in hospitals also there is shortage of Remdesivir injection used to treat covid patients. Relatives of COVID-19 patients in Pune on Thursday staged sit-in protest outside Collector's office demanding the supply of anti-viral drug Remdesivir, also used for the treatment of coronavirus.
Union minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday attacked Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in a series of tweets on the issue of availability of oxygen in the state, saying that Maharashtra has so far received the highest quantity of oxygen in India and the Centre is in regular touch with state governments to assess their needs.
"Saddened to see Uddhav Thackeray's gimmicks on oxygen. GoI, with all stakeholders, is ensuring maximum oxygen production in India. We are currently producing 110% of Oxygen generating capacity and diverting all available Oxygen from industrial use to medical use. Maharashtra has so far received the highest quantity of Oxygen in India", Goyal tweeted.
"Centre is in daily touch with State Governments to assess their needs & help them in best possible manner. Just yesterday, PM in his review told that centre & states should work with synergy in this crisis. With this background, shocked and saddened to see petty politics being played by Uddhav Thackeray. He needs to stop his daily dose of shameless politics and take responsibility. Maharashtra is suffering from an inept & corrupt government & the Centre is doing its best for the people," he added.
Further the union minister said,"People of Maharashtra are following ‘Majha Kutumb, Majhi Javabadari’ dutifully. It is time the CM also follows his duties in the spirit of ‘Majha Rajya, Majhi Javabadari’."
CM Thackeray had written a letter to PM Modi addressing the oxygen shortage in state. He had said that medical oxygen requirement in the state is projected to reach 2,000 metric tonnes per day by April-end from the present consumption of 1,200 MT per day.
Further Thackeray had sought permission under the National Disaster Management Act to airlift oxygen from steel plants in eastern and southern parts of the country.
As many as 63,729 new COVID-19 cases and 398 deaths were reported in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, taking the total active cases in the state to 6,38,034, the state health department informed on Friday.