Union Health Ministry released the National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management on Thursday as Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasised the critical role of properly maintaining and utilising medical oxygen infrastructure.
Salila was speaking at a workshop at Delhi AIIMS which marked the launch of the National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management.
The programme aims to train 200 “master trainers” who will work towards capacity building of hospital administrators and medical officers across the country in proper handling and utilisation of medical oxygen, reducing wastage and improving clinical outcomes.
Addressing those gathered for the workshop, Salila said maintaining medical oxygen infrastructure was necessary to meet the needs in case of any surge capacity in a healthcare facility. She also stressed the need to incorporate learnings from India’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS highlighted the institute’s role in spearheading the capacity-building programme and stressed the importance of training and awareness at all levels of healthcare. The release of National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management marks a significant step toward strengthening the country’s medical oxygen infrastructure and ensuring uniform best practices in oxygen management across healthcare facilities, the health ministry said in a statement.
The comprehensive guidelines provide a framework for the efficient procurement, storage and administration of medical oxygen, with a focus on patient safety, capacity building, and emergency preparedness.
The National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management is an initiative led by the Disaster Management Cell of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with AIIMS, Delhi.
