Part 6/11:

India had the capacity to produce over 7,000 tonnes of medical oxygen daily, yet the distribution chain faltered. While steel plants stored significant reserves, logistical bottlenecks hampered timely delivery, especially to the most affected regions. The country’s vast population, coupled with uneven healthcare infrastructure, exposed glaring inequalities.

In response to the overwhelming crisis, authorities rapidly expanded hospital capacity. Mega hospitals with thousands of beds, intensive care units, and oxygenated wards were set up. City-specific systems—like the “Chase The Patient” model—aimed to streamline patient identification, testing, and bed allocation, preventing further infection spread.