Covid surge: Ensure optimal availability of medical oxygen, Centre tells states

New Delhi, Jan 12: Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in a new letter to all states and Union territories (UTs), has directed for adopting immediate measures to ensure "optimal availability of medical oxygen at health facilities."

This comes as India has been witnessing major spike in daily Covid-19 cases for the past few weeks.

The Centre resquested the concerned department to ensure the following

Adequate buffer stock of medical oxygen-All health facilities providing in-patient care and oxygen therapy should have buffer stock of medicalal oxygen sufficient for at-least 48 hrs.

Availability of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) should be sufficiently filled and uninterrupted supply chain for their refilling should be ensured.

Funcllonal Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Plants: Health faciliies across the country have been strengthened with PSA plants. It is important to ensure that these PSA plants are kept fully functional. All steps should be taken fot the proper upkeep and maintenance of such plants.

Adequate Inventory of Oxygen Cylinders: All the health facilities should have adequate inventory of oxygen cylinders along with backup stocks and robust refilling system.

Sufficient number of Oxygen Concentrators: All districts should ensure adequate oxygen concentrators supplied to them are fully functional. Their proper up keep and maintenance need to be ensured.

Availabality of Life Support Equipment: All higher-level health facilities should have life support equipment including Ventilators, BiPAP, Sp02 systems and associated consumables in sufficient numbers to respond to the emerging needs.

Adherence to disinfection protocol: All infection prevention protocols should be adopted while using the oxygen delivery devices and equipment at all the health facilities.

Deployment of adequately trained HR: For optimal use of all the oxygen delivery equipment and devices, adequately trained HR shouldbe depoyed at all thefacilities. This Ministry along with Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has already organized 1O hour straining for operators of PSA plants for day-to-day operation.

Coordination with Private health facilities: Private health facilities providing oxygen therapy services may be assessed and their medical oxygen infrastructure capacities need to be explored. A possible strategy and mechanism to leverage the private sector in times of peak of demand canbe explored.

Oxygen Control rooms: The oxygen control rooms should be reinvigorated at State and UT level for prompt resolutions of oxygen related issues and challenges.

All the states to ensure on boarding of all healthcare facilities utilizing oxygen to OOAS digttal platform, directly or through State APl's.