AIIGMA is overwhelmed by Government of India’s decisive support
The All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers’ Association (AIIGMA), the apex body of manufactures of industrial gases in India, stated that the members are committed towards fulfilling the critical demand of medical oxygen, which is required at hospitals across the country for the treatment of COVID-19.
AIIGMA also expressed its gratitude towards the inter-ministerial taskforce set up by The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade -Explosives Section- (DPIIT), Government of India, for ensuring readiness and availability of medical oxygen.
This task force consists of officers from Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and All India Industrial Gases Manufacture’s Association (AIIGMA). Members of AIIGMA manufacture and supply 95 per cent of India’s requirement of medical oxygen.
The proactive collaboration between the government and AIIGMA has resulted in several notifications from the Ministry of Home affairs, Drug Controller General of India for the Oxygen readiness of the nation during the COVID 19 Pandemic.
DPIIT and MoH&FW have taken many proactive measures in wake of COVID 19. One such measure is to allow industrial oxygen manufacturers to manufacture oxygen for medical use without compromising on permissible impurities. Oxygen for medical use will be produced as per Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940 & as per Indian Pharmacopeia 2018. This is considered to be a master move by the government in wake of COVID 19 because in case of emergency, patients staying in far flung places/remote areas will have easy access to medical oxygen now. This is a breakthrough development for many other countries to follow suit as they are struggling to maintain adequate oxygen supplies in wake of COVID 19. Guidelines for cleaning externally contaminated medical gas cylinders/containers have been formed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, with inputs from AIIGMA.
Saket Tiku, President, AIIGMA said, “The Government of India has accepted the proposal put forth by AIIGMA that aligns the oxygen manufactures and puts national interests first, for the adequate availability of oxygen to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of all our member companies, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for proactive and innovative measures taken by the inter-ministerial task force and for reposing faith in the industry for fulfilling the critical demand of medical oxygen. We would also like to thank Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for his exemplary leadership of the task force in these troublesome times for the country. The Industry is committed towards ensuring an uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen and stand with the Government of India in fighting the COVID-19 menace.”
On request of DPIIT, Home Secretary, Government of India, has allowed manufacturers of medical oxygen gas/liquid oxygen, medical oxygen gas cylinders, liquid cryogenic cylinders, liquid oxygen cryogenic transport tanks, ambient vaporisers, cryogenic valves, cylinder valves and accessories to manufacturing and transportation of their products during the lockdown. This has helped the medical oxygen gas industry to supply adequate quantities of medical oxygen to hospitals/ quarantine camps /healthcare centre’s/ isolation wards. The recent orders issued by the government have put us ahead of the curve and has enabled the gas industry to be oxygen-ready for the nation.
All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers’ Association, AIIGMA, COVID-19, Saket Tiku, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade -Explosives Section, DPIIT
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