Ramp up production of medical oxygen, manufacturers told

BENGALURU: As the demand for medical oxygen supplies increases, the government on Monday directed medical oxygen manufacturers and suppliers to ramp up operations to meet the requirements of the state.

“We have taken all measures to ensure that there is no shortage of medical oxygen in Bengaluru or other parts of the state. We have also taken into account possible increase in requirement and asked manufacturers to give first priority to providing oxygen to hospitals,” Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters after a meeting with medical oxygen manufacturers and suppliers in the state.

“Supply of oxygen cylinders in Bengaluru is very important. There is a requirement of 3,500 cylinders and it will be done. There is no shortage of oxygen,” he said, and added that oxygen required for the state is being manufactured within the state and there was some shortage of cylinders. Officers have been directed to sort it out and it would be done within a day or two.

Shettar said the state government is taking the required permissions from the Centre to ramp up manufacturing or sort out other issues raised by manufacturers. There is a need to evolve a system to ensure that the oxygen that reaches Bengaluru is supplied to hospitals as per their requirements.

Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, who also attended the meeting, said medical oxygen manufactured in the state is also supplied to other states and now that cases are increasing, there is a need to better utilise the same within the state. The officers have been directed to write to the Centre to provide the required number of cylinders for the state, he added.