Jaipur, Apr 28 (IANS): As the desert state witnessed record 121 deaths and registered 16,089 cases in 24 hours taking the active caseload to 1,55,182, State health minister Raghu Sharma on Wednesday said that the oxygen demand in the state will touch 365 metric tonne by April 30, 541 metric tonne on May 9 and 900 metric tonne by May 30.

Also, the state government will be able to supply oxygen only if it has adequate numbers of tankers as the matter of oxygen supply is directly connected to transportation.

By May 9, there is a requirement of 65 oxygen tankers for smooth supply of oxygen, he added.

Sharma said that the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and other union ministers have been apprised of these facts and they have assured all necessary help.

On the directions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, a 3-member team of ministers comprising Raghu Sharma, B.D. Kalla and Shanti Dhariwal went to Delhi on Tuesday where they met Speaker Om Birla and union minister of state Mansukh Mandviya.

Also they had a virtual meeting with Union minister Amit Shah, Rail minister Piyush Goyal, transport minister Nitin Gadkari and Union health minister Harsh Vardhan.

Chief secretary Niranjan Arya gave his presentation to the union ministers and apprised them of the rising pressure on medical infrastructure of the state in view of rising Covid cases. Sufficient supply of oxygen, increased numbers of tankers and increased supply of life saving drugs is a must for this hour of crisis, he informed the union ministers.

Sharma said that the best part of the meeting was that all ministers lent ears to our worries and concerns and have promised to allot Oxygen, Remsdesivir, tankers and other resources.

He said the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and other union ministers have been apprised of the current crisis and they have assured us all help, adding that the discussions are on with other countries for importing oxygen to Rajasthan.