India’s healthcare system ‘collapses’ as hospitals face oxygen shortage

India’s healthcare system is ‘collapsing’, with hospitals facing shortages in oxygen. The country, home to nearly 1.4 billion people, suffers the world’s fastest coronavirus infection rate and the highest daily increase in cases. It has confirmed almost 16 million infections - the second highest after the US - and more than 184,000 deaths. While India was able to avoid the shortages of medical oxygen which occurred in Latin America and Africa last year, by converting industrial oxygen manufacturing systems into a medical-grade network, facilities returned to supplying oxygen to industries. The Health Ministry has since urged hospitals to implement rationing.