MoICS urged to halt operation of industries using oxygen

We have urged the industry ministry to halt the operation of industries using oxygen as we are careful about saving the country from the situation like in India where the situation is alarming with the short supply of oxygen: MoHP senior assistant administrator, Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has appealed to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) to halt the operation of industries using oxygen for sometimes in view of a possible shortage of oxygen supply for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country.

The Health Ministry has written to the Industry Ministry urging it to halt the operation of such industries so as to cope with the possible crisis of oxygen supply for Covid-19 treatment.

MoHP senior assistant administrator, Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari said, ''We have urged the industry ministry to halt the operation of industries using oxygen as we are careful about saving the country from the situation like in India where the situation is alarming with the short supply of oxygen. Thus, we have taken initiative to stop using the life-saving gas for industrial purpose." 

"Currently, there are 30 plants for manufacturing oxygen in the country and some private plants with the capacity of producing 7,000 cylinders of oxygen on a monthly basis, but the problem is that we have a limited number of cylinders and also only 46 tanks for the storage of the life-saving gas," Adhikari said and added that the best way we could manage at the moment is to prevent the cylinders being sent to neighbouring India. It is not possible to get back the cylinders once it is sent outside the country, he said.

Earlier, on Thursday, Suresh Ghimire, President of Chemical and Medical Suppliers Association of Nepal, told NepalNews that the association has written to the MoHP and MoICS urging the ministries to prevent oxygen cylinders from being sent to India. 

Meanwhile, the MoICS has been urged to control the supply of oxygen and oxygen cylinders on a black market and its import, to ensure its smooth supply in the domestic market and shut industries using oxygen or make them consume the least quantity of gas if the closure seems not possible.

The MoHP Sunday reported a total of 28 deaths from COVID-19 including 16 who succumbed to the disease in 24 hours. 

Likewise, 3,032 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported with additional 90 cases tested positive for the virus through the  Antigen test.