Less than 0.4 pc of medical oxygen exported from India

The annual export of medical oxygen from India is less than 0.4 per cent of the annual production capacity in the country, said government sources.

Malicious propaganda is being spread that India had exported scarce medical oxygen during the pandemic year of 2020-21. This is absolutely false and industrial oxygen exports are being mistaken as medical oxygen, according to gvernment sources.

"Majority of these industrial oxygen exports were in December 20 and January 21 when medical oxygen consumption had reduced by half to 1418 MT/day from a peak of 2675 MT/day in September," the sources said.

The source further said that there are two categories of exports of liquid oxygen, Medical and others (industrial). During April-February 2020-21, India has exported 9884 MT of Industrial Oxygen while only 12 MT of Medical Oxygen.

"These dramatic reductions in demand against a near 7000 MT/day capacity resulted in no threat to medical oxygen supply while protecting jobs in the oxygen industry," the government source added.

The demand for medical oxygen has been increased in India and the hospitals have been grappling with depleting supply of medical oxygen amid spiralling COVID-19 cases.

India is currently witnessing a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic reported nearly 3 lakh fresh infections in the last 24 hours - the highest since the pandemic broke out last year.

( With inputs from ANI )