Editors Note: Indian Government on request of All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers Association has taken a brilliant pro active measure by allowing Industrial Oxygen for medical use in wake of COVID 19.
Other countries should also learn from it and allow Industrial oxygen for Medical purpose in the light of COVID 19. It will help to ensure un interupted supplies of oxygen to Hospitals/ quarantine camps.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry(Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade) and President AIIGMA, Mr Saket Tiku deserve accolodes for this.
At the time of writing, India has just under 5,000 cases and 137 fatalities according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
This has risen in recent days despite the country known to have been on a strict nationwide lockdown since 24thMarch as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As reported by various sources including The Times of India and Times News Now and Outlook India, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has written a letter to all the state Chief Secretaries in recent days to give special attention to keeping an adequate supply of medical oxygen in their respective hospitals.
Oxygen is the largest revenue generating industrial gas In India, according to gasworld Business Intelligence, though this is predominantly linked to the sale of oxygen to the steel and wider metallurgy sector.
The Indian industrial gas sector has an unusually large onsite business for a developing country, with a large number of steel clients that have been ‘weaned’ off captive owned and operated supply solutions in the last decade.
gasworld understands that in most normal circumstances, ASUs (air separation plants) tend to operate at around 75-85% of their maximum capacity, an optimal operational balance between supply and demand. This means that in the context of any significant outbreak of coronavirus and patient care in a given region, the output of oxygen – a product not often associated with short supply – can be increased as demand requires and without the construction of any new plants.
It should also be considered that if industrial consumption could be expected to decrease due to lockdowns and lower economic activity, then ‘spare’ volumes of oxygen might also be available for medical usage.
File No. DCGI/Misc/2020(96)
Government of India
Directorate General of Health Services Central Drugs Standard Control Organization
(DCGI Secretariat)
FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road
New Delhi-110002
Dated:07.04.2020
To,
All State/UT Drugs Controllers
Subject: Granting permission to manufacturers of industrial oxygen to manufacture oxygen for medical use in the light of Covd-19-Reg
Sir/Madam,
As you may be aware, supplemental oxygen therapy is part of clinical management of Covid-19 patient. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure the availability and supply of oxygen for medical use across the country.
In this regard, All India Industrial Gases Manufacturer’s Association (AllGMA) has proposed for allowing manufactures of industrial oxygen to manufacture oxygen for medical use.
In view of above. to ensure the availability and supply of oxygen for medical use,it has been decided in public interest that the premises which are having facilty to manufacture industrial oxygen should be granted manufacturing license to manufacture oxygen for medical use within 24 hours of receiving the application. fees, etc. as per the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 & Rules there under and undertaking in writing to manufacture the medical oxygen in compliance with the standards perscribed in Indian Pharmacopeia and labelling requirement as per the said Act &Rules.
You are requested to take action action as above in public interest for granting license to manufacturers of industrial oxygen to manufacture oxygen for medical use in the light of Covid-19.
Yours faithfully,
(Dr.V.G.Somani)
Drugs Contrtoller General (India)
Copy to:
All stakeholders through CDSCO website
Copy for Information to:
1, PPS to DGHS,Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Nirman Bhavan ,New Delhi.
2, PS to JS(R),Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,Nirman Bhavan,New Delhi.
Source: All India Industrial Gases Manufacturer’s Association (AllGMA)
