Delhi govt notifies medical O2 production promotion policy

THE MEDICAL Oxygen Production Promotion Policy of Delhi, 2021, was approved by the Delhi Cabinet on August 3

New Delhi, Aug. 20: A Delhi government’s policy to make the city “selfreliant” in the production of medical oxygen to tackle any Covid-19 crisis as seen during the second wave or any other medical emergency in future has been notified, officials said on Friday. The Medical Oxygen Production Promotion Policy of Delhi, 2021, was approved by the Delhi Cabinet on August 3.

“The ongoing Covid-19 crisis fuelled by a new 2021 strain of the virus has put an enormous pressure on the existing healthcare infrastructure, including medical logistics, in the NCT of Delhi,” read the gazette notification dated August 19. A large number of Covid patients need continuous oxygen support at hospitals and at homes. This sudden increased demand coupled with negligible oxygen production in the state has necessitated dependence on resources outside Delhi, it said.

“The objective of the policy is to increase production of oxygen in Delhi through setting up of either new manufacturing enterprises or expanding the production capacity of existing units for uninterrupted oxygen supply to hospitals or nursing homes during the health crisis caused by Covid-19 or otherwise,” it said. The policy also seeks to facilitate storage and transportation of medical oxygen in Delhi.

The objective of the policy is to ensure time-bound fulfilment of several targets by incentivising early investment in the production or storage infrastructure for medical oxygen, including setting up of liquid oxygen manufacturing facilities of minimum 50 MT capacity, up to a total of 100 MT.