In this Sikh temple in the suburbs of New Delhi, the sick come from everywhere, because here oxygen is offered.
A commodity that is sorely lacking throughout the country.
Faced with the shortage, institutions, such as the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Indirapuram temple, are mobilizing.
“We are looking for oxygen all over India, all over Delhi.
In Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Haridwar, Jaipur, and all the neighboring towns, 200 or 400 kilometers.
We collect oxygen to give it.
All of our vehicles are on the road, ”explains the temple president.
The situation became extremely serious with the arrival of the Indian variant. Hospitals are overcrowded and drugs are out of stock. India has recorded a total of 18 million infections, with 360,000 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours. Nearly six million new cases were added in this month of April alone. Large-scale political and religious gatherings have largely contributed to the exponential spread of the epidemic.
India has administered 150 million vaccines so far, and from Saturday the program will be extended to all adults, meaning an additional 600 million people will be able to benefit from it. However, many states report that their vaccine stocks are insufficient and experts call on the government to prioritize vulnerable groups and the most affected areas.