In order tofurther streamline and ensure hassle-free supply of liquid medical oxygen (LMO)in the state, the Punjab Government on Monday decided to increase the rates asper the present market rates for transportation of the life-saving gas from themanufacturers and suppliers outside the state as well as from the airseparation and refilling units within the state.
A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting, chaired by the Chief Secretary, Ms. Vini Mahajan, here.
“The decision will be implemented with immediate effectafter the Transport department issues formal orders,” the Chief Secretaryannounced.
The development assumes significance as the state wasfacing certain issues that were creating hurdles in the smooth movement of LMOthat was critically required to be supplied to the hospitals.
The Chief Secretary said it was decided that Punjab shallincrease the transportation rates as per the present market trend.
She disclosed that it was also decided that in view ofthe now applicable Centre’s instructions issued on the rates of medical oxygenand the transportation rates fixed by the Transport department, the earliertender conditions, if any, fixing the rates/ pricing of life-saving gas andalso, that of its transportation will be considered as amended to the extentthat now payment would be made to transporters as per the actual rate of LMOsupplied to them by plants plus applicable transportation charges as pertoday’s orders issued by the state government.
The meeting further decided that an LMO storage tank atGovernment Medical College (GMC) in Amritsar will be set up forthwith.
“As the levels of availability of medical oxygen inAmritsar remains critical, the work of operationalizing the storage tank shallbe carried out at a war footing level and accomplished within minimum possibletime,” revealed Ms. Mahajan.
In order to further ramp up the supply chain, the meetingtook another important decision to immediately free the nitrogen carryingtankers used for movement of semen under contract with the Animal Husbandrydepartment and utilize them for movement of LMO till the situation normalizes.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to ChiefMinister Tejvir Singh, Principal Secretaries (Transport) K Siva Prasad,(Industries & Commerce) Alok Shekhar, (Medical Education & Research)Dhirendra Kumar Tiwari, (Health & Family Welfare) Hussan Lal, Head StateCovid Control Room Rahul Tiwari, Director Treasury, and Accounts Abhinav Trikha,GMADA Chief Administrator Pradeep Kumar Agrawal, and Director-GeneralEmployment Generation Harpreet Singh Sudan.