The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today has released the National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management at a workshop held at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Speaking at the event, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasized the critical role of properly maintaining and utilizing medical oxygen infrastructure so that demands for any surge capacities may be met promptly at the time of any exigencies.

She also stressed the need for inculcating learnings from India’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The release of National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management aims at strengthening the country’s medical oxygen infrastructure, ensuring uniform best practices in oxygen management across healthcare facilities. The guidelines provide a framework for the procurement, storage, and administration of medical oxygen, with a focus on patient safety, capacity building, and emergency preparedness. During the workshop, the National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management was also launched, which will be led by the Department of Hospital Administration at AIIMS, Delhi.