India's daily COVID-19 death toll hits new record as shortages bite
24 April, 2021
India's daily COVID-19 death toll passed a fresh record on Saturday (Apr 24) as the federal government battled to get oxygen supplies to hospitals overwhelmed by the thousands of new daily cases.
Queues of COVID-19 patients and their fearful relatives are accumulating outside hospitals in major cities across India, the new world pandemic hotspot which has now reported practically 1 million new cases in three days.
Another 2,624 deaths, a fresh daily record, were reported, taking the official toll to almost 190,000 since the pandemic started.
A lot more than 340,000 new cases were also reported, taking India's total to 16.5 million, second and then the United States.
But many professionals are predicting the existing wave won't peak for at least three weeks and that the real death and case numbers are higher.
Stung by criticism of its insufficient preparation ahead of the wave of infections, the central government has organised trains to get oxygen supplies to the worst-hit cities.
It has additionally pressed industrialists to improve production of oxygen and other life-saving drugs an issue.
One "oxygen express" carrying 30,000 litres for hospitals found its way to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh state at dawn on Saturday, where armed guards were waiting to escort trucks to hospitals.
Lucknow has been among the worst hit cities, with hospitals and crematoriums inundated with patients and bodies, and officials said the liquid oxygen would only be adequate for half of a day's needs.
The Indian air force can be being used to move oxygen tankers and other supplies around the united states.
In New Delhi, the city's government said it could begin establishing buffer stocks of oxygen to speed supplies to hospitals if they are within hours of running out.
Many patients are dying outside hospitals in the capital because of having less beds and oxygen.
One charity has create an overflow crematorium in an automobile park, with makeshift funeral pyres created to manage the mounting deaths.
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