The Observer An IIJNM publication
Demand for EVs rises, but suppliers are at a loss as manufacturers can’t meet demand | P2
Vol 20, Issue 15
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Also,demand for concentrators is tough to meet By Ashutosh Acharya
Oxygen distributors say they have no surplus stocks | Courtesy: KPN in Bengaluru. We are running out of stocks every hour. We don’t have any extra stocks; we supply every stock that comes to our shop to patients.” Mahendran V.L., manager of Live Science Technologies, Banashankari, a wholesaler in oxygen cylinders and concentrators, informed The Observer: “I get 100-150 orders per day, but am not able to meet them. After we sold our stocks in the initial days, the stocks that we now receive cannot meet the large
requirement. There is also a huge manufacturing shortage. We are not importing stocks from China and the United States, which further poses serious issues for the patients. Hospital beds are full, so most people prefer to isolate themselves a home instead of taking the risk of waiting for beds in hospitals.” Mahendran said an oxygen cylinder costs Rs 9,000-12,000, whereas an oxygen concentrator costs somewhere between Rs 40,000 and Rs 90,000. The de-
mand for oxygen cylinders has gone up in recent days. Usually, patients inhale up to two litres of oxygen per minute, which goes up to 4-5 litres in serious cases. An oxygen cylinder can contain between 10 and 48 litres. Narayana Subhash from Aditya Biomedicals, Nagarabhavi, a company which supplies medical equipment, informed The Observer: “The government is not careful enough and is not taking enough precautions. We supply cylinders and concentrators to home patients. Earlier, we used to supply oxygen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, but now due to corona, most people want oxygen at home as there are no beds in the hospitals. We get 300 to 400 calls per day for oxygen cylinders and concentrators. The question of supply doesn’t arise at all; we don’t have any supplies coming. Probably the stocks will come next month.People in the industry weren’t prepare for this .” Continued on page 3
Their wait for govt-built houses is endless Applicants not informed of the decision made By Mahitha Owk Bengaluru: Despite the several housing schemes announced for the poor in Karnataka by both the state and central govt, many people still remain homeless. They complain they have not received any reply from the govt even after applying for several times. “I have applied three times now, but (have received) no response from the govt. I think I will become old and die by the time they sanction me a house,” Prashanth N, a daily wages labourer, informed The Observer. The state and central government have announced schemes like the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme, Basava Vasati Yojana/
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana aims to provide pucca houses with basic amenities to all rural homeless families by 2022. | Courtesy: KPN Rural Ashraya, Ambedkar Yojana and CM’s One Lakh Housing Scheme. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana aims to provide pucca houses with basic amenities to all homeless families living in rural areas by 2022. A petition was filed in the Karnataka High Court by Mohamed
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Indiranagar’s shopowners suffer losses as road white-topping halts due to Covid situation | P3
As 2nd Covid wave rages, B’luru runs short of oxygen cylinders Bengaluru: Amid a second wave of Covid-19, oxygen suppliers are finding it difficult to provide cylinders and concentrators to hospitals and homes. There is a huge shortage due to the surge in demand in the past few weeks. “Forget about the orders, I have not seen anything like this in my career of 18 years. I have been getting around 1,000 to 1,500 calls every day...,” said Manoj Kumar, the manager of Manoj Distributors, Mathikere. “There is a huge shortage of oxygen. We are supplying oxygen to home patients, not to hospitals because we are unable to meet their huge demand. Some people are so scared of getting Covid that they are buying cylinders in advance. The situation is very bad
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Ikbal, a Bengaluru-based lawyer, claimed that there is no commitment or action plan by the government to provide housing for all people eligible by 2022. Malatesha C.O. applied for a house scheme twice but has not received any response from the government. “I am handicapped,
don’t have a leg, I work on a contract basis. Once I am done with a contract, I have to search for another job. I am not even able to pay my rent. Having my own house will lessen at a little burden,” he shared. He complained he has visited government offices many times but not got a response. “When Kumaraswamy was in power, I got a scooter for the handicapped, but now I’m unable to get a house from Yediyurappa’s government.” The applicants have complained that despite meeting the eligibility criteria, the govt has rejected their applications. It has not got back to applicants about the decision made. Pratap Chandra Mansingh, a daily wages labourer, said: “I belong to a scheduled caste and have a BPL card. I have applied three times now. I don’t know why the government is not getting back to me despite me being eligible.” Continued on page 3
News Briefs EC bans victory rallies after election results No victory processions will be allowed after election results in four states and a Union territory are declared on May 2, the Election Commission has said. The directive comes amid a severe surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, and a day after the poll body drew flak from the Madras High Court for its alleged laxity in enforcing Covid rules in the run-up to the assembly elections.
New Covid cases cross 3L for 6th straight day
April so far is the deadliest month since the beginning of the pandemic. The last seven days have accounted for half the deaths reported in the month. Despite lower testing in the weekend, Monday was the sixth day in a row when India’s Covid count for the past 24 hours exceeded 3 lakh – it was 3.2 lakh on Monday – and deaths crossed the 2,000 mark for the seventh consecutive day. Maharasthra reported the most number of Covid cases, and has imposed a lockdown.
Oxygen Express reaches Delhi with 70 tonnes
The first Oxygen Express train for Delhi, carrying around 70 tonnes of the life-saving gas, reached the national capital early Tuesday morning. The number of Covid-19 deaths in a day in Delhi touched 380 on Monday — the highest till date. On Thursday and Saturday, the capital had reported 357 deaths.
Australia bans direct flights from India
Australia on Tuesday announced a temporary ban on direct passenger flights from India following a massive surge in coronavirus infections. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the suspension would remain in place until at least May 15 due to “clearly present” risks of travel from India, leaving thousands of Australians stranded.Australia, which has a population of 1.3 billion people recorded 352,991 new infections and 2,812 deaths its highest levels since the pandemic began.