India’s Oxygen Demand Seven Times Higher Than in April as New COVID Cases Top 412K

India’s Oxygen Demand Seven Times Higher Than in April as New COVID Cases Top 412K

Oxygen demand in India is seven times higher than in April as the country still struggles to combat COVID-19 cases with a total of 412,262 new infections on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

India is desperately trying to establish large oxygen plants and transport oxygen as most hospitals in the country do not have independent oxygen plants, causing them to rely on liquid oxygen that needs to be transported in cylinders carried by tankers.

On Wednesday, pressure in an oxygen line dropped at the Chengalpet Government Medical College hospital in Tamil Nadu that resulted in the deaths of 11 COVID-19 patients, the Times of India reported. Authorities at the hospital said last week that they had repaired the oxygen pipelines but oxygen consumption has doubled since they worked on it.