Regular oxygen supply priority: Govt amid preps for fresh fight against Covid
Many hospitals across the country had buckled under the pressure of high caseload during the second Covid wave.
In a fresh advisory to states, the central government has insisted on making sure that enough medical oxygen is available. This comes as the government is reviewing preparations to fight coronavirus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday had warned that coronavirus is not over yet as China and other nations continue to see a massive uptick in cases. The government has also made it mandatory for international passengers coming from China, Thailand, South Korea and Japan to undergo an RT-PCR test.
India has witnessed three waves of Covid and hospitals had buckled under the pressure of high caseload during the second Covid wave last year. Several cities, including Delhi, had reported cases linked to shortage of medical oxygen.
In the new advisory, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said that availability of liquid medical oxygen should be ensured and Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants should be kept functional. The cases in the country "are low" presently, and "are not surging as of now", it further underlines. Amid the pandemic, the government has said, it ensured the availability of oxygen by "installing and commissioning PSA plants, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, and other oxygen related infrastructure to ensure availability in a reliable and cost effective manner".
Mock drills for checks and balances, resolution of staff-related issues and easy availability of life support equipment should also be on the priority list, the advisory stresses.
On Friday, the central government had told states to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour is followed by crowds amid Christmas and New Year revelry. While masks are not mandatory for now, but these are highly recommended.
Even as India has the second highest overall cases after the United States, the daily tally in the country has remained low in the recent months. China, however, is reported to have recorded millions of new cases. The spike is believed to be driven by highly infectious BF.7 subvariant of Omicron.
(With inputs from ANI)
