Bihar decides to divert oxygen for industrial use to hospitals

With a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases, the state government on Thursday decided to divert all oxygen reaching Bihar for industrial use to meet the growing demand in hospitals

With a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases, the state government on Thursday decided to divert all oxygen reaching Bihar for industrial use to meet the growing demand in hospitals.

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The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by additional chief secretary (industry) Brajesh Mehrotra and attended by Deepak Kumar, principal secretary to the chief minister, divisional commissioner Sanjay Agarwal and Patna district magistrate Chandrasekhar Singh, besides 50 representatives of private hospitals and four owners of oxygen refueling plants.

Patna divisional commissioner was asked to procure all the empty oxygen cylinders for their refilling to meet the growing demand in the state capital, which is worst hit in the state by the pandemic.

Patna district magistrate Chandrasekhar Singh was also asked to arrange gas/liquid tankers.

As the pandemic situation worsens across the country, the Centre has started mapping states with greater need of oxygen. Though oxygen production in the country is more than the demand, the challenge lies in ensuring smooth supply to needy states.

Meanwhile, reports from several parts of the state capital suggested that private hospitals refused to admit Covid patients mainly due to shortage of oxygen cylinders needed for seriously infected patients as the virus affects lungs and makes it difficult to breathe.