As the second wave of Covid-19 variant has led to a rapid rise in positive cases across the country and brought health facilities under increasing pressure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday undertook a “comprehensive” review to ensure adequate medical grade oxygen supply in the country and called for stepping up its production.
Oxygen supply has been under pressure with the multiplication of coronavirus cases after it had largely ebbed out by the start of this year.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Modi took a comprehensive review to ensure adequate medical grade oxygen supply in the country.
Inputs from Ministries like health, steel, road transport, and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade were also shared with the PM during the review, said the statement of the PMO.
The PM stressed that it is important to ensure synergy across Ministries and State Governments, the PMO said.
He also took a detailed review of the current situation of oxygen supply and projected use in the coming 15 days across 12 high-burden States — Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
The PMO said an overview of the district-level situation in these States was presented to the PM.
He was informed that the Centre and States are in regular contact and estimates for projected demand has been shared with states as of April 20, April 25 and April 30, it said.
The PMO said, accordingly, 4,880 MT, 5,619 MT and 6,593 MT have been allocated to these 12 States for meeting their projected demand of medical oxygen as on April 20, April 25 and April 30, respectively.
The PM was briefed about production capacity in the country to meet the rising demand, it said.
He suggested increasing oxygen production as per the capacity of each plant.
It was discussed that surplus stocks of oxygen supply in steel plants are being offered for medical use, the PMO said.
The PM also asked officials to ensure seamless and free movement of tankers carrying oxygen throughout the country.
The Government has exempted all inter-State movement of oxygen tankers from registration of permits to enable easier movement, the PMO’s statement said.
Modi was informed that States and transporters have been asked to ensure tankers move round the clock with drivers working in shifts to ensure faster turnaround and adequate capacity to meet the surge in demand.
Cylinder filling plants will also be permitted to work for 24 hours with necessary safeguards, the PMO said.
The Government is allowing industrial cylinders to be used for medical oxygen after due purging, it said.
Similarly, nitrogen and argon tankers will be automatically allowed to be converted to oxygen tankers to overcome the potential shortage of tankers.
During the review, officials also briefed the PM about the efforts being made to import medical grade oxygen, the PMO said.
It was reported that a Covid patient in a Delhi Hospital died as a ward boy “switched off” and moved an oxygen cylinder to another patient in the hospital.
India added a record 2,17,353 new coronavirus infections in a day taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 1,42,91,917, while active cases surpassed the 15-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The West Bengal which has witnessed numerous political rallies over the last two months (with thousands of people in attendance) has crossed the national coronavirus average of 5.2 per cent by registering a Covid positive growth of 6.5 per cent. The cases in the State have doubled over the last week.