In a bizarre move, the Maharashtra government has abruptly decided to 'ration' medical oxygen for patients in Covid-19 public and private hospital wards/ICUs, kicking up a row between the state and the medical fraternity.

Doctors in the state have condemned the move as "unprecedented in the world", "terrible, horrible, abominable", something that could lead to "a sharp spike in Covid fatalities", with a veiled warning that they may be forced to abdicate the responsibility of treating Corona patients and "it will be better if the government runs all the private hospitals on its own".