Our Correspondent / NEW DELHI
Government today said that there was no shortage of oxygen cylinders and today’s capacity for production of oxygen is slightly more than 6 thousand 9 hundred metric tonne. Briefing media here today, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, each state needs to ensure proper inventory management so that oxygen can be replenished in time. The Health Ministry today said, over 38.5 lakh patients have so far recovered and discharged and the rate of recovery on a day to day basis is showing an increase.
He said said that active cases were only 1/5th or 20 per cent of the total cases and recovery rate stands at 78.28 per cent. He informed that number of testing has also increased. He added that over 5.8 crore samples have been tested so far and over 76 lakh tests done last week.
The Secretary said, cases per million population in India are 3 thousand 5 hundred 73 as compared to the world average of 3 thousand 7 hundred and 4 cases per million population. He said, deaths per million population in India are 58, among the lowest in the world and the global average is 118.
Mr Bhushan said, five States, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu account for 60 per cent of total active cases in the country. He said, there are 14 states and UTs where total number of active cases are still less than 5 thousand and there are only 4 states in the country where the total number of active cases is more than 50 thousand. The Secretary said, there are 18 states and UTs where the total number of active cases are between 5 thousand and 50 thousand.
Replying to a media query, the Union Health Secretary said, there is no shortage of oxygen cylinders and today’s capacity for production of oxygen is slightly more than 6 thousand 9 hundred metric tonne. He said, each state needs to ensure proper inventory management so that oxygen can be replenished in time.
Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research Dr Balram Bhargava said, three vaccines are at clinical trial stage in India. He said, Cadila and Bharat Biotech have completed phase-I trials, Serum Institute has completed phase II-B3 trials and will start phase-III trial with 1500 patients at 14 locations after clearances.