Vijayawada: Refillers of medical oxygen are cashing in on the huge demand for oxygen and are charging the Coronavirus-infected patients heftily in several parts in the state.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixed the maximum price (ex-factory) of liquid medical oxygen at Rs 15.22 per cubic meter and medical oxygen in cylinder at Rs 25.71 per cubic meter excluding 12 per cent GST in its order issued on September 25, 2020, and it will be in force until further orders.
However, as the state is witnessing the raging of Coronavirus infections, the infected patients are rushing to government and private hospitals, which are either Aarogyasri-empanelled or permitted, to take treatment. Though the big government and private hospitals have in-built medical oxygen filling plants or storage rooms for bulk cylinders and have pipeline connectivity to the beds in ICU wards, some do not have such facilities and the stocks are getting exhausted in no time. These hospitals are forcing the kin of patients to get medical oxygen in cylinders on their own. When the latter rush to local refillers, they are charging exorbitant rates, taking advantage of the situation.
A medical oxygen refiller in Vijayawada is charging Rs 65 per cubic meter, while another is demanding Rs 95 per cubic meter. Apart from it, they are also charging for transport of filled-in cylinders to hospitals and for return of empty cylinders. Adding to it is an additional levy of GST at 12 per cent. The refillers are taking every precaution to avoid detection by the law enforcement agencies by mentioning only statutory price in the invoices and nominal amount for handling and transportation charges.
A refiller took Rs 7,000 as an advance deposit for the issue of a portable medical oxygen cylinder of one cubic meter capacity and charged a rental of Rs 300 per day in the city. A maternity hospital in Patamata is said to have stocked several medical oxygen cylinders. Some people staying in home quarantine are also keeping medical oxygen cylinders at their houses for future use by paying whatever is demanded from the refillers. It is the case in several parts of the state, which is creating huge demand and supply gaps.
Andhra Pradesh is allotted medical oxygen to the tune of 480 tonnes per day by the centre. The cryogenic tankers carrying liquid medical oxygen procured from Angul in Odisha, Sriperumbudur, Bellary and parts in Visakhapatnam, reach the in-built filling plants in the hospitals directly. The liquid oxygen turns into gaseous form during supply into pipelines connected to the beds as the hospital authorities fix specific equipment for the purpose and pressure is monitored through valves and gauges.
A doctor at Vijayawada government hospital, B. Nirmal Kumar, said, “If oxygen saturation level falls down below 94 per cent for any patient, we start providing medical oxygen from the level of two litres and it goes on as per requirement until the patient improves his levels. It may take even days to provide oxygen supply to the patient based on his health condition.”
A senior official of Drugs Control Administration (DCA) said, “We are keeping close tabs on supply of medical oxygen at statutory price and people are advised not to hoard cylinders for future use as it is resulting in some refillers charging more. We will initiate action against such refillers as per norms.”
