Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Why India is facing an oxygen crisis as COVID cases mount

Why India is facing an oxygen crisis as COVID cases mount

By air, by train and by road, India is scrambling to move large quantities of medical oxygen to hospitals in its capital New Delhi and other areas hit hard by a record surge of COVID-19.

ARE HOSPITALS RUNNING OUT OF OXYGEN?


The main problem is that medical oxygen is not reaching hospital beds in time. This delay is a product of where production units are located, a stretched distribution network, and what critics have said is bad planning.

Several hospitals in Delhi, which has no significant oxygen production capacity, made frantic public calls this week seeking emergency supplies.

With COVID-19 cases also swamping its neighbouring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, oxygen facilities there are over-stretched attempting to meet local demand.

To fulfil Delhi's current needs, additional medical oxygen now has to be trucked in from industrial zones in eastern India.

WHY ARE OXYGEN DELIVERIES GETTING DELAYED?

The facilities from where Delhi will now receive oxygen are spread across seven states, some more than 1,000 km (625 miles)away, according to a court document.

Given the hazardous nature of the substance, all liquid oxygen must be transported in a limited number of specialised tankers, requiring advance planning to ensure deliveries are made on time, a gas industry source told Reuters.

In recent days, as a scramble for oxygen among states worsened, local officials in some regions disrupted movement of tankers in a bid to keep supplies for themselves.

In part due to such blockades, Delhi only received about 177 tonnes of oxygen on Wednesday against its allocation of 378 tonnes, an official said.

But the industry source said that Delhi had also dragged its feet on planning ahead, without factoring in the time it takes to move oxygen cross-country by road.

"This problem wouldn't have happened if they had acted 2-3 weeks ago," the source said.

Delhi's government did not respond to questions about the planning.

DOES INDIA HAVE ENOUGH OXYGEN?

India has a daily production capacity of at least 7,100 tonnes of oxygen, including for industrial use, which appears to be enough to meet current demand.

This week, the government allocated 6,822 tonnes of liquid oxygen per day to 20 of the country's worst-affected states, compared to their combined demand of 6,785 tonnes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office said on Thursday.

India's total medical oxygen demand was just 3,842 tonnes as of April 12, as the surge in cases really took hold.

States are typically allocated supplies by an inter-ministerial group of bureaucrats mandated to monitor and facilitate the flow of essential medical kit during the pandemic.

Modi's office has noted that the availability of liquid medical oxygen had increased by about 3,300 tonnes in the past few days, with steel plants and other industrial units diverting their production.

WHAT IS INDIA DOING TO SOLVE THE CRISIS?

The federal government has activated the Indian railways to move multiple tankers from refilling plants to where it is most needed.

Working with industrial gas major Linde India and others, the government is also using the Air Force's cargo planes to fly empty tankers to production hubs. Refilled oxygen tankers will then move back by road.

The armed forces are importing 23 mobile oxygen generation plants from Germany.

Several other industries are offering oxygen to hospitals, while salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group is importing 24 specialised containers to transport liquid oxygen.

The government has issued orders to convert argon and nitrogen tankers into oxygen ones.

But as some experts predict a trebling of daily infections in a few weeks, India will have to dramatically ramp up both oxygen production and distribution systems.

More For You

Human brain continues forming neurons

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain

iStock

Human brain continues forming neurons well into old age, study finds

Key points

  • New neurons continue forming in the brain’s hippocampus into old age
  • Study confirms presence of neural progenitor cells in adults
  • DNA carbon dating and single-nucleus RNA sequencing were used
  • Research shows variation in neuron production between individuals
  • Findings could aid treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

Human brain shows ongoing neuron formation into older age

A new study has confirmed that the human brain continues to produce new nerve cells well into late adulthood, challenging previous assumptions about age-related decline in neurogenesis. The findings, published in the journal Science, provide fresh insight into how adaptable the brain remains over a lifetime.

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain, is known to occur in the hippocampus — a region involved in memory. While previous research has suggested that this process continues throughout life, there has been limited concrete evidence of the presence of neural progenitor cells in the adult brain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent County Show 2025

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley

Getty Images

Kent County Show opens with royal visit from Duchess of Edinburgh

Key points:

  • Day one of the Kent County Show begins at Detling Showground near Maidstone
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh visits the event for the first time in 16 years
  • Organisers expect up to 70,000 visitors over the weekend
  • Farming and rural life are at the centre of the three-day programme
  • Highlights include live camel racing, equine sports, livestock displays and more

Kent County Show opens with royal visit

The Kent County Show returned to Detling near Maidstone on Friday, marking the start of a major three-day celebration of farming, food, and rural living. The event opened with a special visit from the Duchess of Edinburgh, who is attending for the first time in 16 years.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley near Tunbridge Wells and serves as patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), met with farmers, equine exhibitors, and local businesses on her tour of the showground.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Aurobindo

Heehs’s biography is grounded in extensive archival research across France, England, India and Israel

AMG

Sri Aurobindo and the rise of the Asian century

Dinesh Sharma

My friend and colleague, the American historian Peter Heehs, who has lived in Pondicherry, India, for decades, recently published a compelling new biography, The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Collaborator (2025). Heehs previously authored The Lives of Sri Aurobindo (2008), which remains one of the most balanced and scholarly accounts of Aurobindo’s life.

According to Heehs, most previous biographies of the Mother were written for devotees and relied on secondary sources, often presenting her as a divine incarnation without critical engagement. “Such biographies are fine for those who see the Mother as a divine being,” Heehs said, “but they can be off-putting for readers who simply want to understand her life – as an artist, writer, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Ashram and Auroville.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Black women cancer risk

Serious public health challenges in the decades ahead

iStock

Study warns of rising uterine cancer rates, with Black women hardest hit

Key points

  • Uterine cancer cases and deaths are projected to rise significantly in the US by 2050.
  • Black women are expected to experience the highest increase in incidence-based mortality.
  • A new model predicts incidence rising to 86.9 cases per 100,000 for Black women and 74.2 for White women.
  • Researchers stress the urgent need for improved prevention and early detection strategies.

Sharp increase in uterine cancer predicted over next three decades

Uterine cancer, currently the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, is projected to see a substantial rise in both cases and deaths by 2050, particularly among Black women. A new study led by researchers at Columbia University warns of worsening racial disparities in outcomes if preventative measures are not introduced.

This year alone, around 69,120 new cases of uterine cancer and nearly 14,000 deaths are expected in the United States. However, projections by the Columbia University research team, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, indicate a significant increase in both incidence and mortality over the next 30 years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesco Scotch Egg recall

Tesco has issued an urgent product recall for two batches of Wall’s Scotch Eggs

Tesco

Tesco recalls Wall’s Scotch Eggs over salmonella contamination

Key points

  • Tesco and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have issued an urgent recall for Wall’s Scotch Eggs.
  • Salmonella contamination has been confirmed in two batches with a use-by date of July 2, 2025.
  • Customers are advised not to eat the affected items and return them to any Tesco store for a full refund.
  • No other Wall’s products are affected by this recall.

Wall’s Scotch Eggs recalled due to salmonella risk

Tesco has issued an urgent product recall for two batches of Wall’s Scotch Eggs after salmonella contamination was confirmed. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) supported the decision and has advised customers to check their kitchens and dispose of or return the products immediately.

The recall applies specifically to Wall’s 2 Classic Scotch Eggs 226g and Wall’s The Classic Scotch Egg 113g, both with a use-by date of 2 July 2025. Customers who purchased either product are urged not to consume them due to the potential health risk.

Keep ReadingShow less