Stop politics on oxygen shortage, take note of efforts to hike production: Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi, Dec 3: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday urged the opposition parties to take note of the government's efforts in ramping up production of life-saving gas to meet the surge in demand while asking them not to politicise the issue.

"Sadly, even in such a situation, many people did not refrain from playing politics... I appeal, take note of our honest efforts. This is not a subject of politics," he said in the Parliament during the Zero Hour. He claimed that the Centre made "all possible efforts" to ensure the availability of oxygen and increased its production following a rise in demand during the second wave of the pandemic.

The Health Minister slammed the opposition over claims about deaths due to oxygen shortage during that period, saying the government sought data from states on the matter and only the Punjab government replied that there were four suspected cases of such deaths and a probe into them was underway.

"I want to say that Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) had said at the chief ministers' meeting that there was no need to hide the number of deaths due to shortage of oxygen shortage. It (numbers) should be reported," the Union Health Minister said. The Centre wrote to states thrice, requesting them to provide data on the number of people who died due to shortage of oxygen, Mandaviya said. "A total of 19 states responded and it's only Punjab which stated in writing that four suspected deaths were there (in the state) and that too being investigated. We made it public. Still, politics is happening," he added.

PTI