Sisodia writes to Harsh Vardhan alleging oxygen tankers not able to reach hospitals in Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 22: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia wrote to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday alleging that tankers carrying oxygen were not able to reach hospitals in the national capital as they were being stalled by police and officials in UP and Haryana.

"Police and senior officials of the administration in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are stalling the tankers carrying oxygen, delaying the tankers from reaching Delhi hospitals on time," Sisodia said in the letter.

"I urge you ensure that the oxygen allocated for Delhi by the Centre reaches there without any delay to save lives of the patients," he added.

Several small hospitals in the city struggled to replenish oxygen supply for coronavirus patients on Thursday morning, even as some big healthcare facilities received fresh stock overnight.

The Centre on Thursday directed states to ensure uninterrupted production and supply of medical oxygen and its transport along inter-state borders and said the district magistrate and superintendent of police of the district concerned will be held responsible if there is any violation of its order.

The directive under the stringent Disaster Management Act 2005 was issued by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in the wake of reports that some states blocked supply of medical oxygen to other states amid sudden spike in coronavirus cases and demand for it.