Kerala has increased its production of oxygen from 99.39 metric tonnes in April last year to 219 metric tonnes in April this year. At a time when several states are facing a severe shortage of medical oxygen, Kerala has managed to increase its medical oxygen supply and storage.
Speaking to ANI, Southern Gas Ltd, Trivandrum, manager Aparna Nayar said, "For the last two weeks, there has been a drastic increase in demand for medical oxygen. We are trying to meet this increased demand. We have fully stopped industrial production and are filling medical oxygen only."
Nayar further said, "We are supplying to government and private hospitals. Now there is a drastic increase in inquiries from all over south India. We cannot meet all the requirements. We are diverting to our other units. Whatever is possible we are doing."
Meanwhile, the Kerala health department and PESO have been working together to ensure medical oxygen supply. Talking about PESO's intervention, Aparna said, "We are in a safe position only due to PESO's intervention. They are closely monitoring all the activities and giving us help all the time."
In a press meet, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that in the present situation we require 74.25 metric tonne oxygen and 219.22 metric tonnes is being produced in Kerala. Meanwhile, He said that there is around 50 percent occupancy in government hospital's ICU beds for both COVID and non-COVID patients. As per the union health ministry update on Saturday, 22,757 COVID-19 cases and 27 deaths were reported in Kerala in the past 24 hours.
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