Center Appeals To States To Maintain Availability Of Oxygen And Life-Saving Equipment
Delhi, 24th December 2022: Corona has taken a frightening form in China. There is a crowd of patients in the hospitals. Meanwhile, necessary steps are being taken in India to prevent Covid. On the other hand, to deal with any challenge given the Covid cases, the Center on Saturday directed the states and union territories to ensure the availability of liquid medical oxygen, cylinders in hospitals, and life-saving equipment such as ventilators in mobile condition.
The Health Ministry also asked them to keep the Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) oxygen production plants fully functional and conduct mock drills from time to time to test them. In a letter to the states and union territories, Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health, said that although the number of cases in the country is low, the highest priority is to keep the medical infrastructure functional and maintained to deal with a sudden situation.
Medical oxygen is the most important resource in all medical settings. Proper oxygen supply plays a crucial role in saving lives, especially during a pandemic. In the letter, the Additional Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries, Secretary (Health) of all the States and Union Territories have been asked to direct the concerned departments to keep the PSAs in proper condition and check them through mock drills from time to time.
Instructions have also been given in the letter to ensure the availability of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in hospitals and its uninterrupted supply. States are also requested to keep sufficient quantity and backup stock of oxygen cylinders. States have also been asked to revive oxygen control rooms to deal with oxygen-related issues and problems. During the Covid pandemic, the Center helped States and Union Territories to set up PSA plants, besides providing oxygen concentrators, cylinders and other oxygen-related facilities to provide affordable and reliable medical oxygen in the country.
