Gautam Gambhir arranges free oxygen, slams Arvind Kejriwal for Delhi's COVID-19 woes

BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Saturday said he has arranged free oxygen concentrators for people in need amid the acute shortage of medical oxygen to treat the COVID-19 patients. The former cricketer requested for the people to return the concentrators once used so they can be passed on to others who are in dire need of them. 

"Oxygen is needed critically in Delhi, people are running pillar to post so we have arranged 200 oxygen concentrators. We just want people to look at the essential commodity from a humanitarian point of view and return them once their need suffices so that it can be passed on to others. We will give the oxygen concentrators for free, the way we distributed Flaviflu, Oxygen cylinders for free. The person will have to show the doctor's prescription and the oxygen levels," he said while speaking with ANI.

The person will require to give a post-dated cheque, doctor's prescription and his oxygen levels to avail the free oxygen concentrators, Gautam Gambhir said while adding that the post-dated cheque is only for security purpose so as to avoid its black marketing or unnecessary hoarding due to panic. He said the cheque will not be encashed.

'Where is Mohalla Clinic?': Gautam Gambhir asks Arvind Kejriwal

Speaking on the panic caused in Delhi due to the shortage of essential supplies amid the second wave of COVID-19, Gautam Gambhir said panic was obvious as there was no preparation for the past year. 

In a veiled attack on Delhi Government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Gautam Gambhir said, "Neither you have beds, nor COVID centres, oxygen, oxygen tankers. Today, what do you have in Delhi, no one wants to answer it. You are a chief minister, take the responsibility."

Gautam Gambhir also raked up the concept of Mohalla Clinic which Arvind Kejriwal boasted of as achievements of AAP led Delhi Government.

"You (Arvind Kejriwal) boasted so much about Mohalla Clinic, people thought mohalla clinic are hospitals. Where are your mohalla clinics after six years?" Gambhir remarked while also speaking about Delhi Government's spending on advertisements at the expense of the exchequer as Delhi struggles with essential supplies.

Delhi is grappling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic as the national capital on Friday reported 375 deaths and 27,047 new cases in the 24 hours with a positivity rate of 32.69 per cent. On Saturday, eight COVID-19 patients of Batra Hospital in Delhi died allegedly due to oxygen shortage. Hospitals across the national capital and its suburbs have been sending out desperate messages of help on social media and other platforms, flagging their dwindling stocks of oxygen. The country as a whole continues to struggle with the grim situation with a single-day spike breaching the 4-lakh mark on Saturday taking the active caseload of the country above 32 lakhs.

(with inputs from ANI)