Covid second wave: India sees sharp jump in demand for medical oxygen

New Delhi: India is expected to see a steep rise in demand for medical oxygen in some states by the end of the month owing to the sharp spurt in covid-19 cases, the Centre said on Thursday.

Several states are already seeing an unusually high demand for medical oxygen as the second wave of pandemic rages on, the inter-ministerial empowered group (EG2) of officers has noted.

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The government said India has sufficient production capacity of oxygen, and as per need, surplus stock available with steel plants is also being utilized. The country has a daily production capacity of 7127 MT oxygen. Total production has hit 100% in the past two days, as directed by EG2.

On 12 April, medical oxygen consumption in the country was 3842 MTs, that is 54% of the daily production capacity. The maximum consumption is from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi.

“With increasing cases, the medical oxygen consumption will need to keep pace with the requirements of the states,” the union health ministry said in a statement.

“For this, the current oxygen stocks of the country, including the industrial oxygen stocks with the manufacturing plants, is more than 50,000 MTs. Along with the ramped up production of the oxygen manufacturing units and the surplus stocks available, the present availability of oxygen is sufficient,” the government said.

States have been asked to make rational use of medical oxygen and ensure there is no wastage. "Besides states must set up control rooms to ensure smooth supply of oxygen to the districts as per need, review requirement of cylinders, tankers etc."

The government said stock availability from steel plants has increased in the last few days, with 14,000 MTs coming from stocks of state-owned steel plants alone, and this has helped ramp up total stocks of liquid medical oxygen in the country.

The government panel is mapping the requirements of top states with oxygen sources, including with sources across the state borders and those available at steel plants. Maharashtra has been able to lift surplus medical oxygen on daily basis from steel plants like JSW in Dolvi (Maharashtra), SAIL in Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and from JSW in Bellary (Karnataka). Madhya Pradesh has been able to supplement its oxygen supply from the steel plant in Bhilai (Chhattisgarh).

“The challenge presently is to move oxygen from States with less necessity to States with increased necessity. Mapping of the surplus sources with States that have greater need for oxygen, such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, etc is being finalised, in consultation with the manufacturers, States and other stakeholders,” the government said.

This has been undertaken through coordinated planning between the Government of India and State Governments to map their requirements up to 30th April 2021 with the available sources and stocks of oxygen in the country.

Orders are being placed for purchase of another one lakh oxygen cylinders by union health ministry.

For the past one year, the EG2, under the chairmanship of Guruprasad Mohapatra, secretary, Department for Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has been monitoring and facilitating the supply of essential medical equipment including medical oxygen to the affected states.