Green corridors — traffic-free roads that allow speedy delivery of human organs for transplantation in ambulances — should now be extended to transportation of liquid oxygen tanks to hospitals in cities, the Centre has told Telangana and six other states.
The states, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana state, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, were told this during a videoconference on Sunday by Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal. The conference discussed ways to ensure adequate oxygen at all healthcare facilities in these seven states and unrestricted intra- as well as inter-state movement of oxygen.
The states were advised to remove any restrictions on movement of medical oxygen between states, ensure facility wise/hospital wise oxygen inventory management and advance planning for timely replenishment so that there are no shortage, pay bills to oxygen suppliers on time, and improve power supply to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to oxygen manufacturing units.
The states were told that oxygen cylinders that are sent for refilling must be properly disinfected before being dispatched to medical oxygen manufacturers.
