Dispur to rope in State's refineries to divert oxygen for medical purposes

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Dispur has started the preliminary discussion with the State's refineries to divert oxygen produced by the latter for industrial uses to medical purposes.

"In the face of a massive surge in demand for medical oxygen during the second wave of the pandemic, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has started diverting the high-purity oxygen used in its Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) unit to produce medical-grade liquid oxygen at its different refineries and petrochemical complexes in various parts of the country. Under such circumstances the State Health Department has also started the discussion with the refineries such as Numaligarh Refinery to divert oxygen produced at their plant for use of medical emergency," a source in the Health department said.

Sources said the discussion would also be initiated with the Guwahati Refinery and Bongaigaon Refinery to produce oxygen for medical purposes. Both the refineries are owned by the IOC.

On the other hand, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that besides the existing three oxygen-producing plants at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital the government is setting up a new plant at Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital in Pan Bazar. The Health Department is also planning to set up another oxygen-producing plant at Sonapur.

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