Maharashtra Govt Tells Centre to Reserve 50% Oxygen Production in State for Medical Use amid Pandemic

The Maharashtra government has proposed to the Centre that 50 per cent of the oxygen production in the state be reserved for medical use in view of the coronavirus pandemic, health minister Rajesh Tope said. He was speaking to reporters here after attending a review meeting held by Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday.

Currently, 15 per cent of the oxygen production is reserved for medical use while the rest can be used for industrial needs, Tope said. Due to the need of oxygen for COVID-19 patients, there is a shortage, he said. “So we proposed in the meeting that 50 percent of manufactured oxygen be reserved for medical purposes in the state,” Tope said.