The Centre on Monday said that it has undertaken a slew of measures to increase the streamline the distribution and strengthen the oxygen storage infrastructure in the country. The steps taken include efforts for improving oxygen production, enhancing tanker availability to optimize logistics, improving oxygen storage at the last mile, and easing norms of procurement, the ministry of commerce and industry said in a statement.
“Oxygen availability has been enhanced by increase in Production Capacity and production, setting up of Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Plants, import of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from Overseas, and Procurement of Oxygen Concentrators. For enhancing tanker availability to streamline transportation, Nitrogen and Argon tankers have been converted, tankers and containers have been imported, domestic manufacturing of tankers increased, and rail and air transportation of tankers is being undertaken to reduce turn-around time,” the ministry said.
It said an Oxygen Digital Tracking System (ODTS) has been setup of for real time monitoring, and driver availability is being enhanced with training of MHV drivers.
“For improving oxygen storage, number and capacity of cryogenic tankers at hospitals is being enhanced and medical oxygen cylinders are being procured. Relaxation of General Financial Rules (GFR) has been undertaken to enable faster procurement of critical supplies,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, oxygen production has increased from 5700 MT per day in August 2020 to 9,446 MT per day in May 21. The production capacity has increased from 6817 MT per day to 7314 MT per day, and capacity utilization has gone up from 84 per cent to 129 per cent during this period.
