The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has directed the health ministry to take appropriate action on the labeling of oxygen cylinders to distinguish between industrial and medical oxygen, following a request from lawmaker Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade in the interest of patient safety.
Lawmaker Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade has raised an important issue regarding the labelling of oxygen cylinders, urging the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to intervene and ensure proper distinction between industrial and medical oxygen. In his letter to the PMO, Gopchade highlighted the need for this measure in the interest of patient safety, particularly after many Covid patients who required external oxygen support suffered from fungal infections that led to blindness.
Gopchade, a doctor himself, emphasized the critical nature of this issue, pointing out that the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines on the quality of medical oxygen. He stressed that the lack of clear labelling on oxygen cylinders, and the absence of sufficient government focus on ensuring the quality of medical gases, has resulted in harm to patients during the pandemic.
“In the course of the Covid pandemic, many patients needing oxygen support contracted fungal infections, which unfortunately led to loss of eyesight. There is a lack of attention to the quality of medical oxygen, and the absence of clear labelling between industrial and medical oxygen cylinders is a serious concern,” Gopchade said in his letter to the PMO.
The lawmaker called for mandatory inspections of medical oxygen production facilities and requested the PMO to direct state governments to prioritize the quality of medical oxygen. In response, the PMO has instructed the health ministry to take appropriate action on the matter.
Oxygen is used in various industries, including healthcare, but according to the WHO, medical oxygen is of a much higher purity and quality than industrial oxygen, and they are not interchangeable. The WHO has emphasized the importance of this distinction to safeguard public health.
