Madhya Pradesh: Oxygen tanker stuck in Uttar Pradesh reaches Sagar medical college

Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): A tanker carrying oxygen from Bokaro in Jharkhand reached a medical college in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Monday under police escort from the Uttar Pradesh border, officials said.

On Sunday, the Madhya Pradesh administration dialled senior officials of the Uttar Pradesh government after the tanker carrying oxygen for hospitals in Sagar was allegedly held up during transit through UP.

"The tanker carrying 14 MT (metric tonnes) of oxygen reached the Government Bundelkhand Medical College on Monday morning for providing the life-saving gas to COVID-19 patients," Sagar district panchayat's CEO and nodal officer for oxygen Dr Icchit Garhpale told PTI.

The MP government had sourced oxygen from steel plants in Bokaro. The tanker was to reach Sagar on Sunday but it was allegedly held up in Uttar Pradesh, officials earlier said.

Madhya Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home Dr Rajesh Rajora on Sunday night said the news circulating on social media that the UP government had stopped the tanker was "baseless and not at all factual".

"The ACS (Home) UP has given clearance on phone for the transportation of oxygen tankers coming from Bokaro to the Bundelkhand Medical College in Sagar," Rajora said.

He had said the tanker would reach Sagar through a diverted route via Mahoba (UP) to reach Chattarpur in MP at Kimha check post under the UP police's protection and from there it would be escorted by the Madhya Pradesh police to its destination.

Hospitals in parts of the country are facing oxygen shortage as COVID-19 cases surged to a record high. Industrial oxygen is being diverted for medical use.

On Sunday, Madhya Pradesh reported 13,601 new cases of coronavirus and 92 deaths, taking the infection count to 4,99,304 and the death toll to 5,133, a health official said.

So far, 4,02,623 people have recovered from the disease, while there are 91,548 active COVID-19 cases in the state, he said