Amid rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state, Gujarat government, on Friday, issued a notification, directing oxygen producers to divert 50 per cent of the production to hospitals.
As per the powers given under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897, the Disaster Management Act 2006 and other Acts, the health and family welfare department said it has directed the oxygen manufacturers in the state to produce oxygen in an uninterrupted manner at maximum capacity.
The department stated that with the increasing cases of COVID-19, the consumption of oxygen is going up exponentially. The demand for oxygen will increase manifold in coming days as the cases continue to go up, it said.
In the last 24 hours that ended at 5 pm on Thursday, Gujarat recorded 1,344 new cases, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive cases to 1,10,971. The period also witnessed 16 deaths due to the pandemic. The death toll in the state due to COVID-19 stands at 3,183.
The state government said 91,470 patients have recovered from the disease and the recovery rate is 82.43 per cent.
Food and drugs commissioner Dr. H.G. Koshia said the producers will divert only 50 per cent of the oxygen produced for industrial use. If they fail to comply, they are liable to six months of imprisonment under various sections of the Acts cited by the state government.
According to sources, there are about 50 oxygen manufacturing units in Gujarat.
