Explained: Why India is facing oxygen shortage during 2nd Covid wave

Over the past week, many breathless Covid-19 patients have died due to the unavailability of medical oxygen in hospitals across some states in the country. Contrary to claims, the shortage of oxygen in some states is not due to lower production or FY21 exports.

The second wave of the Covid-19 has left infected patients gasping for breath as hospitals in some states continue to face an acute shortage of medical oxygen. Many hospitals in Delhi and few other states are currently operating on the edge due to a shortage of medical oxygen. Over the past few weeks, many breathless Covid-19 patients have died due to the unavailability of medical oxygen in hospitals situated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharastra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. A flurry of SOS messages on Twitter and other social media platforms show the severity of the oxygen shortage in these states. Meanwhile, opposition party leaders and affected citizens have slammed the Centre and state governments for the shortage of medical oxygen, which is necessary for hospitals to keep critical Covid patients alive.