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Staff push a corona patient's body out of a hospital
Photo: Altaf Qadri / AP
In India, the corona crisis is becoming more and more dramatic.
On Friday, the authorities reported around 330,000 new infections and a further 2,000 deaths within one day, more than four million new infections were registered this month alone.
Hospitals are congested and lacking oxygen to treat patients.
One of the largest hospital groups has now tweeted a cry for help because there was a lack of oxygen for artificial respiration.
"SOS - less than an hour of oxygen supplies left at Max Smart Hospital and Max Hospital Saket," wrote Max Healthcare.
"More than 700 patients admitted need immediate help." A little later it was said that they had received oxygen that would be sufficient for two hours.
In New Delhi, at least six hospitals ran out of oxygen on Friday night before new deliveries arrived that morning.
Oxygen tank truck drivers work overtime to supply all of the clinics.
Freight planes are also in use to transport oxygen, and on Thursday the first "oxygen express" train with tanks on board started.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a number of emergency meetings on schedule in view of the situation.
On Friday alone there were several meetings on the subject of oxygen supplies and the supply of urgently needed medicines.
India's health system, which has been underfunded for decades, is overwhelmed by the high number of corona patients; apart from oxygen, there is also a lack of medicines and beds.
A few days ago, 22 Covid-19 patients died in Maharashtra state when their ventilators lost their oxygen supply due to a leak.
Another serious accident occurred on Friday night.
At least 13 corona patients died in a fire in an intensive care unit.
The fire broke out in a four-story hospital in the city of Virar, the clinic director said.
What caused the fire is still unclear.
In India, the corona numbers have been rising faster and faster for weeks.
More than 300,000 new infections were reported on Thursday and Friday, more than anywhere else in the world.
In absolute terms, India, with its 1.3 billion population, has recorded more than 16 million infections.
The country is hardest hit by the pandemic behind the USA.
A double mutation of the coronavirus and various mass events are held responsible for the recent massive increase in the number of infections.
ptz / AFP / dpa