In the wake of rapid exponential rise in Covid-19 cases across India and severe shortage of oxygen required for treatment, the Ministry of Health directed that oxygen should be sourced from domestic steel mills with about 500 ton per day oxygen capacity, Minister of Health, Rajesh Bhushan said on Tuesday, September 15.
He said that all state level health departments and officials should coordinate with steel mills located in the region for procurement of oxygen as several of such steel production facilities have on-site oxygen plants.
India has emerged the second biggest pandemic hit country after the US with 4.8 million cases and recording over 90,000 cases per day for the past five consecutive days.
The rapid rise in Covid-19 cases has resulted in hospitals across the country facing acute shortage of oxygen and according to health department resulting in three fold increase in demand of oxygen required to treat critical patients.
Data released by the health department showed that proportion and number of patients requiring oxygen have increased over the past four months—34,004 patients or 3.7 percent of all active cases were on oxygen support on September 11, compared to 12,186 patients or 2.32 percent of all active cases on July 31.