With Third COVID-19 Wave Looming, Delhi Approves Oxygen Production Policy

With chances of possible third COVID-19 wave, Delhi government has decided to ramp its oxygen production capacity as the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday approved policy for providing incentives to the private sector.

"Approved Medical Oxy Prodn Promotion Policy. It provides several incentives to pvt sector to set up oxy prodn plants, invest in Oxy tankers n set up oxy storage facilities. This will help improving oxy availability in Del which became a huge bottleneck in handling last Covid wave (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

The capital had battled acute oxygen shortage during the second COVID-19 wave, with hospitals calling out the authorities to replenish their limited stocks of oxygen.

On April 23, around 21 critically-ill COVID-19 patients had died at Jaipur Golden Hospital in northwest Delhi due to oxygen shortage.

Batra Hospital in Tughlakabad Institutional Area lost eight lives due to oxygen shortage on May 1.

To prevent a repeat of the oxygen crisis, the city government is in the process of installing oxygen generation plants and increasing hospital beds to accommodate 37,000 cases a day in case of a third wave.

According to officials, around 10 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plants with a total capacity of 148.11 metric tonnes are being installed at various government and private hospitals in the city.

While 66 plants are being installed in Delhi government hospitals, 10 are being set up in central government hospitals and 84 in private healthcare facilities.

The city government is also creating LMO storage facilities and has floated a tender to procure 15 cryogenic tankers having a total carrying capacity of 225 tonnes. (With PTI inputs)