Dikhyaa Mohanty 
After the second surge of the world deadliest virus- Coronavirus in India, many people suffered breathlessness and died due to the availability of medical oxygen in hospitals. The shortage of oxygen has become a significant concern across some states in the country but what is the real reason behind the shortage.
According to the news report, many hospitals in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharastra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are suffering from an acute shortage of medical oxygen where patients with a shortage of breath are dying.
Meanwhile, social media is flooded with SOS messages where it showing the severity of the oxygen shortage in many states in the country. Even the opposition party leader and the people who are suffering are slamming the centre and state government for the problem and questioning the seriousness of the government handling the current pandemic in the country.
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But the question is who to blame and what is the exact reason behind the shortage of oxygen where the whole world knows the seriousness of this pandemic. According to Oxygen export data from the Department of Commerce showed that India exported twice as much oxygen to the world during the first month of FY21 in comparison to the previous financial year.
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As per the official data, India had exported 9,301 metric tonnes of oxygen across the world between April 2020 and January 2021. In parallel, the country had transported only 4,502 metric tonnes of oxygen in FY20. The oxygen provided was in liquid form and can be used for both industrial and medical use.
But during that period the oxygen demand was not that high and during the first wave of Covid-19, the demand for liquid medical oxygen increased from 700 metric tonnes per day to 2,800. But after the second wave hit, the demand increased to 5000 and during the second week of April, the demand for medical oxygen increased by a huge margin.
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After which many are blaming the government over the oxygen export but India produces over 7000 metric tonnes of Liquid oxygen per day which shows that the many reasons behind the shortage is something else.
As per some report, India is producing a sufficient amount of oxygen but the irregular supply and logistical concerns have led to these crises in some states. Due to the distribution issues, some states are facing this oxygen crisis. The company generates over 50 per cent of the medical oxygen requirement in the country. Some other major manufacturers are Linde India, Goyal MG Gases Pvt Ltd, National Oxygen Limited.
Pic Courtesy – Google
Even the shortage of tankers has led to a notable lag in inter-state transportation of oxygen from manufacturers to the hospitals. The medical facilities and healthcare centres located in remote or rural areas face bigger crises due to the extended transportation time.
Image Source – Google
