Oxygen Muddle in India

 May 9, 2021


Oxygen muddle in India.

If you believe Srikant Sastri writing in the Times of India lately, then this confusion has been artificially created by well-established government procedures.  Oxygen plant contracts were awarded 6-8 months ago when the first virus event occurred. The stipulated time for delivery was 75 days. Six months later, no such delivery has been made hence this current huge Oxygen shortage.

The blame lies with the old established bureaucratic procedures. The Procurement Agreement was awarded to the lowest bidder (L-1). It seems now that the contractor was not able to supply. He was awarded the contract because he was the lowest bidder. The procedure muddle kicked in now. If the L-1 does not get the contract, as per government established norms, he would sue in court. Hence bureaucrats absolved themselves of the blame and L-1 got the contract.

No one could predict that a COVID-19 tsunami would hit India by mid-April. So much so that SOS world wide had to be made for Oxygen supply.

Most of the countries, which had received favors from India earlier in the Quinine and Vaccine supply came to help. Indian Air Force and Navy established an Oxygen supply chain and rose up to the occasion. The army has assisted with the establishment of hospitals. 

Surprisingly US, who was an India’s ally of a sort, airlifted only three plane loads of oxygenators and few other supplies, claiming that US comes first. Their ban on raw material and other supplies to make vaccine in India and elsewhere, although lifted still mired in patent talk. Too bad about that.

The pressure on the oxygen supply has been somewhat alleviated, but deaths in India due to lack of oxygen are astronomical. Who should be held accountable...    Ultimately the present government gets the bulk of the blame and they have received most of the flak. Angry people will not vote for this government. They already have taken out their anger in the provincial elections and will do it again. Be mindful of governments... people are angry.

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