1,500 ventilators received by Rajasthan govt under PM-CARES Fund unused & unpacked

Jaipur, May 3: Amid the oxygen shortage across the country, over 1,500 ventilators received under the PM CARES Fund are lying unused and unopened in Rajasthan. Despite the alarming Covid situation in the state, the machines have neither been repaired nor replaced since last year.

 

 

 

Satya Kumar, National Secretary of BJP also raised questions about this matter. He tweeted, "1500 ventilators received under PM CARES Fund are lying uninstalled for 10 months in Congress-ruled Rajasthan. There are 6.33+ Lakh covid+ cases in the state, of which 1.89+ Lakh are ACTIVE covid cases. 4558 people have lost lives to covid. Still the state govt is apathetic, WHY?"

 

 

According to Dainik Bhaskar, in Jodhpur, of the 100 ventilators received under PM CARES Fund, not a single one was put to use. After state capital Jaipur, Jodhpur tops the state in a number of deaths due to COVID. The 100 ventilators received are faulty but they have not been repaired. Similarly, even in other hospitals, the situation is worsened as there were ventilators reached but neither they were installed nor repaired.

 

 

Last year, in March, PM Narendra Modi had set up a PM CARES fund where everyone could donate to help the government fight against coronavirus. Amid the surging cases of coronavirus in India last year, PM CARES Fund had allocated Rs 2,000 crore for the supply of 50,000 'Made-in-India' ventilators to government-run COVID-19 hospitals in all states and Union territories.

 

 

However, the local daily report suggests that out of 1500 ventilators received by the state from the central government 230 have been found damaged and not repaired to put to use. The report further claims that many ventilators are lying unused and unpacked since last year.