Centre directs states, UTs to ensure optimal availability of medical oxygen at health facilities

New Delhi: Taking cognisance of the importance of medical oxygen during the pandemic, the Centre on Wednesday directed all states and UTs to ensure optimal availability of medical oxygen at all concerned health facilities.

In a letter to the chief secretaries of all states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that all health facilities providing in-patient care and oxygen therapy should have buffer stock of medical oxygen sufficient for at least 48 hours.

The liquid medical oxygen tanks at the health facilities should be sufficiently filled and uninterrupted supply chain for their refilling should be ensured.

"lt is important to ensure that these PSA plants are kept fully functional. All steps should be taken for the proper upkeep and maintenance of such plants", said the letter.

All the health facilities should have adequate inventory of oxygen cylinders along with back-up stocks and robust refilling systems. lt should also be ensured that these cylinders are filled and kept ready on with sufficient number of oxygen concentrators. All districts need to ensure that oxygen concentrators supplied to them are fully functional.

The Centre has asked to equip all all higher-level health facilities with life support equipment including ventilators, BiPAP, SpO2 systems and associated consumables in sufficient numbers.

For optimal use of all the oxygen delivery equipment and devices, the states need to deploy adequately trained human resources at all the facilities. The private health facilities providing Oxygen therapy services may be assessed and their medical oxygen infrastructure capacities needs to be explored. The oxygen control rooms should be reinvigorated at State and UT level for prompt resolutions of oxygen related issues and challenges, said the letter to the states.