Assam May Face Shortage Of Oxygen Supply In Hospitals As Demand Grows Due To Covid-19: Health Minister

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, Assam government is apprehending a crisis of oxygen and is trying to import it from neighbouring West Bengal and Jharkhand, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday (29 August).

Sarma said that consumption of oxygen by Covid and non-covid patients is gradually increasing in Assam since last month and currently per day oxygen requirement is 33 MT against the state's production capacity of 37.86 MT per day.

"As on Saturday 433 patients are on oxygen support. If the number of Covid and non-covid patients increased, it would be a serious challenge for the health department to manage the oxygen. If we at all manage oxygen from West Bengal and Jharkhand, it would also be a tough task to carry the oxygen in time," he told the media.

According to the Minister, Assam's Covid-19 positive cases increased to 1,01,367 with 81,070 patients recovered from the disease and 286 people succumbed to the disease.

Of the total of 286 deaths took place due to Covid-19 so far in Assam, 183 people died in six of the state's 33 districts -- Kamrup (Metro 64), Dibrugarh (39), Cachar (25), Tinsuikia (20), Karimganj (18) and Kamrup (Rural 17).

With the mortality rate due to coronavirus 0.28 per cent, Sarma claimed that the fatality rate of Assam is lowest in the country though it was earlier this month 0.24 per cent.

"Assam so far completed testing of 21.47 Lakh samples. With 62,606 per million tests, Assam climbed to third position in the category in India after Delhi and Andhra Pradesh," he said.

(With inputs from IANS)