Bengaluru,  Reeling under shortage of medical oxygen and beds in hospitals, the Karnataka government decided to deploy 5,000 portable oxygen generators in Covid-hit Bengaluru and 1,000 each of the remaining 30 districts across the state," said Health Minister K. Sudhakar on Sunday.

"We are sending 5,000 portable oxygen generators to hospitals in Bengaluru and 1,000 each in 30 districts across the state to overcome shortage of the gas to treat severe Covid-hit patients," Sudhakar told reporters after visiting state-run Victoria hospital in the city centre.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on April 23 urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rush 1,471 tonne oxygen and 2-lakh doses of anti-viral drug Remdesivir to the state to meet their growing demand due to surging cases during the pandemic's second wave sweeping the southern state.

"We are also placing 3,000 additional beds in all state-run hospitals in the next 15 days. Modular intensive care units (ICUs) and ventilator beds will be set at Victoria and hospitals attached to state-run medical colleges," said Sudhakar, a medical doctor by profession.

The state health department plans to reserve 75 per cent of beds in all private medical colleges across the state for treating Covid patients, whose numbers have been rising by the day.

According to the state health bulletin, a record 34,804 new cases were registered across the state on Saturday, taking the state's Covid tally to 13,39,201, including 2,62,162 active cases.

As epi-centre of the pandemic in the state, Bengaluru reported a whopping 20,733 fresh cases on Saturday, taking the city's tally to 6,53,656, including 1,80,542 active cases.

Out of 143 lives lost to the virus during the day, 77 were from Bengaluru, taking the state's death toll to 14,426 and the city's toll to 5,800 since the pandemic broke out in mid-March a year ago.

Of 1,492 patients in the intensive care units (ICUs), 338 are in Bengaluru hospitals, 265 in Kalaburagi, 122 in Dharwad, 95 in Tumakur, 86 in Davangere and 77 in Shivomgga district across the state.

Meanwhile, the central government allotted 1,22,000 Remdesivir vials to the state and increased the supply of medical oxygen to 800 tonne from 300 tonne daily to the state.