‘Oxygen Express’ reaches Delhi

PTI Updated - April 27, 2021 at 09:49 AM.

Delhi government to disburse oxygen to various hospitals

Medical oxygen tankers are delivered via the 'Oxygen Express' train at Delhi Cantt railway station in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The Indian government, which has been facing a massive shortage of oxygen supply for Covid-19 patients after a new wave of infections struck, has diverted oxygen supplies to hospitals from industrial uses, but that has failed to meet the surge in demand. Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg

The first Oxygen Express train for Delhi carrying around 70 tonnes of the life-saving gas reached the national capital early Tuesday morning, officials said.

This oxygen will now be disbursed by the Delhi government to various hospitals, they said.

"#OxygenExpress has reached Delhi from Raigarh, Chhattisgarh with Oxygen for patients in the capital. Indian Railways is leaving no stone unturned in our collective fight against COVID-19, & ensuring sufficient availability of life-saving resources across the country," tweeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

Earlier, the railways had said that it has chalked out plans to transport medical oxygen from Angul, Kalingnagar, Rourkela and Raigarh to Delhi and NCR region. However, there is no information on the second train to the capital city.

Delhi recorded the highest single-day rise in its COVID-19 death toll with 380 more people succumbing to the infection on Monday, while the positivity rate stood at over 35 per cent, according to the bulletin issued by the city health department.

Published on April 27, 2021 04:19