Gujarat govt asks manufacturers to keep 50% of oxygen equipment units for medical use

Ahmedabad: Amid a fresh rise in COVID-19 cases in Gujarat, the state health department has again directed oxygen production units to keep 50 percent of their production for medical use so that it could be easily made available to hospitals treating coronavirus patients. The state health department on 10 September also issued a similar notification. In its new order dated 26 November, issued under various sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act, the department has directed oxygen production units to keep their production uninterrupted and at their maximum production capacity. The units have been directed to produce 50 percent oxygen for medical use, to be supplied to hospitals in Gujarat, and divert the remaining for industrial use. The units have also been asked to give priority to supply oxygen to hospitals as compared to industries, in case the need arises. The order remains in operation till 31 December, said the notification. A similar notification issued in September was effective for a month, and was not revised as the number of COVID-19 cases at that time came down. Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration Commissioner HG Koshiya earlier said the demand for medical oxygen reduced in October as compared to September. The oxygen consumption stood at 135 ton per day in October, compared to 240 tons per day in September, he said. This happened during the period when the number of COVID-19 cases witnessed a decline in the state. However, in the recent weeks, the state has seen a new surge of COVID-19 cases, which has led to an increase in the use of medical oxygen in hospitals treating such patients. The state reported 1,598 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, taking the tally to 2,06,714, as per official figures.