India patients gasp for breath due to low oxygen amid deadly Covid-19 surge 2 minutes read
New Delhi, Apr 24 (EFE).- Hospitals in India continued to struggle with dangerously low levels of medical oxygen as the deadly second pandemic wave piled up nearly 350,000 new patients and killed more than 2,600 people.
Amid the rampaging surge of the virus, which has now killed more than 9,000 people in the last four days, a hospital in New Delhi said 20 of its critically ill patients succumbed because of the oxygen shortage.
DK Baluja, director Jaipur Golden Hospital in northwest Delhi, told EFE: “Twenty Covid-19 patients have died at the hospital as oxygen levels depleted last night.”
Centre removes basic customs duty and health cess on medical oxygen, related equipments
April 24, 2021
No customs duty on imported vaccines for 3 months
In a booster dose for improving supply of medical oxygen in the country, which has been hit hard by the ongoing Covid-19 second wave, the Modi-led government on Saturday gave customs duty as well as health cess exemption for three months to imports of medical oxygen and slew of medical equipments related to production of oxygen. It also granted basic customs duty exemption on Covid-19 vaccines with immediate effect for three months.
These latest measures, which were taken at a high-level review meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to boost availability of medical oxygen and Covid-19 vaccines as well as make them cheaper.
Covid: Centre exempts customs duty on vaccines, oxygen for 3 months business-standard.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from business-standard.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Centre waives off customs duty on import of vaccines, oxygen for three months amid COVID surge
PM Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review steps taken to boost oxygen availability in the country.
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Updated: Apr 24, 2021, 03:56 PM IST
PM Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review steps taken to boost oxygen availability in the country. During the meeting, the government decided to grant full exemption from basic customs duty and health cess on the import of items related to oxygen and oxygen-related equipment for three months with immediate effect.
PM Modi emphasised an immediate need to augment the supply of medical-grade oxygen as well as equipment required for patient care both at home and in hospitals.
States implore Centre to ensure equity in vaccine pricing - The Hindu BusinessLine thehindubusinessline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehindubusinessline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.