CM Bhupesh Baghel approves Rs 1 crore for Raipur to purchase Oxygen cylinders

Amid the nationwide crisis of Oxygen supply, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has approved Rs 1 crore for the state capital Raipur to purchase Oxygen cylinders.

The decision has been taken in light of an increased number of COVID-19 cases and demand for Oxygen in Raipur city.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had allowed the Collectors to purchase Remdesivir and other essential life-saving medicines as per immediate requirement amid the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the state.

He had also approved the establishment of an RT-PCR testing lab in Balod and Mungeli, as per a statement from the state government.

Several states are facing a shortage of medical oxygen, including Chhattisgarh.

There has been a significant increase in fresh COVID-19 cases in Chhattisgarh and other parts of the country. The state reported 13,834 fresh COVID-19 cases, 11,815 discharges, and 165 deaths in the last 24 hours on Tuesday. So far, 6,083 people have lost their lives to the disease in the state while the number of active cases currently stands at 1,29,000.

India reported nearly 3 lakh new COVID-19 cases and over 2,000 deaths were reported on Wednesday, a record-high since the pandemic broke out last year.

As per the union health ministry, as many as 2,95,041 new COVID-19 cases and 2,023 deaths were reported, taking the total cases to 1,56,16,130, including 21,57,538 active cases.

( With inputs from ANI )