In the letter dated December 24, the Union health ministry has asked all state governments and union territories to ensure adequate availability of medical oxygen to face any challenges in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in India. Dr. Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health, wanted all PSA plants, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, and other oxygen-related infrastructure to be well set up and functioning properly.

The ministry requested in the letter that states and UTs ensure the availability of liquid medical oxygen in health facilities and an uninterrupted supply chain for its refilling. They asked that the availability of functional life support equipment such as ventilators, BiPAP, and SpO2 systems, along with their consumables, be adequate.

The letter also instructed that all oxygen control rooms should be reinvigorated at states and UTs for prompt resolution of oxygen-related issues and challenges and wanted to onboard all healthcare facilities utilizing oxygen to the ODAS platform for daily oxygen demand and consumption monitoring.

As of late, the ministry has been holding weekly review meetings with all states and UTs to ensure that medical oxygen equipment is well set up and functioning properly.