Srinagar
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the demand for medical oxygen has increased sharply as the territory has witnessed sharp increase in the COVID-19 cases.
The oxygen gas supplying companies in Kashmir were earlier supplying only 40 percent of their medical oxygen gas to the hospitals and remaining 60 percent to the industrial sector.
In the face of crisis, they have now stopped supplying to the private sector and have diverted entire supply to the government hospitals in Kashmir division to meet the demand.
Owner of an Oxygen Gas plant, Muhammad Shafi, told media that they are supplying 650 oxygen cylinders per day to Srinagar’s Soura Institute of Medical Sciences, 450 gas cylinders to SMHS hospital and 50 cylinders to JVC hospital.
He said that two weeks ago, they were supplying just 200 cylinders a day to Soura hospital, and 100-150 cylinders to SMHS.
Muhammad Shafi said the demand of oxygen cylinders in the hospitals has increased manifold and they have stopped all the supplies to the industrial units after the resurgence of COVID19 in Kashmir division.
Another plant owner, Naveed Tak, said they are willing to do their best to supply medical oxygen to the hospitals.
“We have capacity to supply 1200 oxygen cylinders a day. We are doing our best to ensure that the oxygen reaches patients.
We are trying to enhance our capacity. But people should understand that they need to follow to COVID appropriate behavior.”
Pertinently, the Indian government on Sunday in view of the acute shortage of life-saving gas, completely banned the use of “liquid oxygen” for industrial purposes.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs in a communication to Indian states and IIOJK made it clear that “no exception is allowed to any industry” with regard to use of the commodity.
Meanwhile, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has urged the authorities to impose lockdown in the Valley to prevent further spread and deaths due to the novel Coronavirus.—KMS
