A Critical Evaluation of the COVID-19 Second-Wave Oxygen Crisis in India
Corresponding Author(s) : R Darla
rajudarlaofficial@gmail.com
International Journal of Allied Medical Sciences and Clinical Research,
Vol. 9 No. 2 (2021): 2021 Volume - 9 Issue - 2
Abstract
The devastation that we see around us today caused by the second wave of COVID-19 within the country, isn't simply because of the rates of contagion and therefore the virulence of the disease, but also — and maybe, more significantly — due to the crunch in life-saving resources. Especially something we've always taken without any consideration — Oxygen. Although oxygen is that the element primarily liable for sustaining life on planet Earth and constitutes 21% of the atmosphere, oxygen during a purer state is required for variety of applications which may be broadly grouped into two categories. Industrial uses – Oxygen purified to 80% and over finds application in multiple industries starting from steel manufacturing to cutting torches and fabrication. Medical uses – Oxygen purified to 90% and above may be a vital a part of hospital infrastructure and finds application in multiple medical situations to enhance oxygenation in tissues, assist inhaling patients etc. Various estimates put the pre-COVID total oxygen usage at approximately 75% -80% industrial and 20-25% medical. India had, at the time of writing, a production capacity of roughly 7200 MT. However the assembly capacity isn't spread evenly. Eight states, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Odisha, TamilNadu, Karnataka, Kerala and West Bengal account for nearly 80% of India’s total oxygen production. The primary manufacturing method used for extracting oxygen from air is liquefaction and fractionation. Of late, oxygen concentrators are deployed to supply oxygen for medical purposes, but oxygen concentrators haven't demonstrated their capacity to be scaled up to large quantities.
Keywords
COVID-19
Oxygen
Maharashtra
Gujarat
Jharkhand
Odisha
TamilNadu
Karnataka
Kerala and West Bengal
1.
R Darla. A Critical Evaluation of the COVID-19 Second-Wave Oxygen Crisis in India. Int. J. of Allied Med. Sci. and Clin. Res. [Internet]. 2021 Jul. 3 [cited 2026 Jan. 13];9(2):342-8. Available from: https://ijamscr.com/ijamscr/article/view/1023
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References
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1. India reported 512 oxygen-related deaths during second wave of COVID: open Data Tracker. The New Indian Express; May 19, 2021.
2. Mukherjee Biman. India has always had enough oxygen. Fortune; May 18, 2021.
3. Uttar Pradesh tags 38 oxygen tankers for real-time supply tracking. Times of India; April 26, 2021.
4. India oxygen crisis: Tata Group donates cryogenic containers. Gasworld. April 21, 2021.
5. Union Government imports 20 cryogenic tankers of 10 MT and 20-MT capacity, allocates them to States. The Statesman; April 27, 2021.
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13. O2 Plants being installed over 13 medical colleges, institutes in UP, Say Officals. Medical Dialogues Bureau; May 1, 2021.
14. Kumar VS. How Kerala became an oxygen-surplus State in one year. The Hindu; May 1, 2021.
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39. Maruti Suzuki in process of installing 24 oxygen plants in Govt hospitals. Business Standard; May 28, 2021.
40. DRDO to set up 500 medical oxygen plants within 3 months: Rajnath Singh. Times of India; April 28, 2021.
41. Oil PSUs to set up medical oxygen plants at 100 locations. Live Mint. May 6, 2021.
42. DCM Shriram Ltd sets up oxygen generation plant at ESIC Ankleshwar. The CSR J. May 29, 2021.
43. Tech Mahindra Foundation and Mission Oxygen to set up 50 oxygen plants for charitable and government hospitals across India. Mahindra.com; May 12, 2021.
44. Gehlot inaugurates PowerGrid installed oxygen plant at Jaisalmer District Hospital. UNI India; June 4, 2021.
45. Singrauli: coal India arm northern coalfields to install oxygen plants in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Free Press Journal; May 10, 2021.
46. WCL gives Rs. 15.38 crores for oxygen plant at Nagpur & Chandrapur. Nagpur Today.
47. Jog S. Mandatory for pvt hospitals to set up oxygen plant: public health minister Rajesh Tope. Free Press Journal; April 16, 2021.
48. Dayal S. Gurgaon hospitals with 50 plus bed capacity directed to make own oxygen arrangements. The Indian Express; May 7, 2021.
49. Bagish. Gurugram. Times of India; May 6, 2021. 260 oxygen cylinders found in raid, racket was selling each for Rs 35,000.
50. Black marketing of oxygen concentrators: absconding businessman Navneet Kalra arrested. New S. 2021; 18(May 16).
51. PTI. Finance Ministry widens scope of ECLGS, banks to offer concessional loans for setting up oxygen plant. Deccan Herald; May 30, 2021.
52. Vrindavan C, Chinmaya Mission Tristate Center, May 26, 2021.
53. PPCR arranges 250 ventilators, 4,000 oxygen concentrators from Singapore. Hindustan Times; April 24, 2021.
54. Ghosh Abantika, Nair Remya. Modi Govt invited bids for 150 oxygen plants in October, Today, just 33 are up. Print. April 24, 2021.
References
1. India reported 512 oxygen-related deaths during second wave of COVID: open Data Tracker. The New Indian Express; May 19, 2021.
2. Mukherjee Biman. India has always had enough oxygen. Fortune; May 18, 2021.
3. Uttar Pradesh tags 38 oxygen tankers for real-time supply tracking. Times of India; April 26, 2021.
4. India oxygen crisis: Tata Group donates cryogenic containers. Gasworld. April 21, 2021.
5. Union Government imports 20 cryogenic tankers of 10 MT and 20-MT capacity, allocates them to States. The Statesman; April 27, 2021.
6. Das AK. More oxygen expresses on the way to Haryana, MP, Telangana and UP. Swarajya. May 2, 2021.
7. Kagrana B. COVID-19 aid from Ukraine carrying 184 oxygen concentrators arrives in India. Repub World. May 31, 2021.
8. Joshi Mallica. Delhi to import 18 oxygen tankers from Bangkok, 21 oxygen plants from France: Kejriwal. Indian Express; April 27, 2021.
9. PTI. India received 2060 oxygen concentrators, three oxygen generation plants as foreign aid. The Hindu; May 8, 2021.
10. Choudhury S. How India ensured steady supply of medical oxygen; March 2, 2021.
11. PM CARES Fund Trust allocates Rs.201.58 crores for installation of 162 dedicated PSA Medical Oxygen Generation Plants in public health facilities. News release on pmindia.gov.in, January 5, 2021.
12. Assam has 8 oxygen plants producing 5.25 MT/day, 5 plants in process: Himanta Biswa. Sentinel. April 24, 2021.
13. O2 Plants being installed over 13 medical colleges, institutes in UP, Say Officals. Medical Dialogues Bureau; May 1, 2021.
14. Kumar VS. How Kerala became an oxygen-surplus State in one year. The Hindu; May 1, 2021.
15. CM Pinarayi Vijayan requests PM modi to provide 1,000 tonnes of LMO, vaccine doses to Kerala. New S. May 5, 2021; 18.
16. Odisha Police escorts 345 tankers carrying 6354.742-MT medical oxygen to states. New S Kerala. May 6, 2021.
17. Nair S. Palghar: 11 Covid patients die due to shortage of oxygen cylinders in Nalasopara. The Times of India; April 13, 2021.
18. Guenot Marianne. India’s COVID19 surge is highlighting a ruthless global black market for oxygen where sellers jack prices up to 1000%. Bus Insid. April 23, 2021.
19. Bihar: cops bust a black marketing racket of oxygen cylinders & concentrators; 225 cylinders seized. Times. May 10, 2021.
20. Cohen J. The grimmest days of the Covid-19 pandemic coincide with the most severe forms of rationing. Forbes; January 8, 2021.
21. Johnson TS. To breathe easy, use NIV instead of HFNO to conserve oxygen stock, Karnataka Govt urges hospitals. Indian Express; May 17, 2021.
22. Maharashtra: high-flow tube is guzzler of oxygen, avoids it, says task force. Times of India; April 16, 2021.
23. Bhusari Piyush. Audit helps Pune hospitals save 30 tonnes of oxygen a day. Times of India; May 8, 2021.
24. Oxygen audit panels set up in all hospitals. The Hindu. Thiruvananthapuram; May 15, 2021.
25. ’Save The Doctors’ Campaign, Facebook post; June 2, 2021.
26. Arora Gonika. ’Delhi oxygen crisis: Slight relief and a deadline for Centre from Supreme Court,’ India TV News; May 6, 2021.
27. Our trucks are being diverted midway. INOX informs Delhi HC that Rajasthan Govt had held up 4 oxygen tankers meant for Delhi, OpIndia, April 27, 2021.
28. Dikshit R. Uttar Pradesh: Chanda uli gives oxygen tankers”VIP” status to save transportation time; April 28, 2021.
29. Sinha Amitabh. Explained: the peak of India’s second wave of Covid-19 is in sight, but end may still be far away. Indian Express; May 14, 2021.
30. Govt launches”Project O2 for India” to increase supply of medical oxygen. Bus Today. June 13, 2021.
31. Madhya Pradesh: invest in oxygen plants and get up to Rs.75 crore aid,” Free Press Journal, May 4, 2021.
32. PTI. ’Maharashtra to give financial incentives for new oxygen-making units,’ India TV News; May 21, 2021.
33. PTI. ’Govt to procure 1 lakh portable oxygen concentrators, 500 more PSA oxygen plants from PM Cares Fund,’ Moneycontrol; April 28, 2021.
34. Surge hits a new peak; Centre approves 551 oxygen plants for Govt hospitals in districts. Indian Express; April 26, 2021.
35. India is Running Out of oxygen, COVID 19 patients are dying because the government wasted time. Scroll. April 18, 2021.
36. Medical oxygen supply crisis: 33 PSA plants installed, 4 in HP. Tribune; April 18, 2021.
37. Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates PSA based oxygen generating plant and booster set up by IGL; June 14, 2021. Available from: psuconnect.in [cited 30/6/2021].
38. Delhi: CM launches 22 oxygen plants at nine hospitals. The Hindu; June 13, 2021.
39. Maruti Suzuki in process of installing 24 oxygen plants in Govt hospitals. Business Standard; May 28, 2021.
40. DRDO to set up 500 medical oxygen plants within 3 months: Rajnath Singh. Times of India; April 28, 2021.
41. Oil PSUs to set up medical oxygen plants at 100 locations. Live Mint. May 6, 2021.
42. DCM Shriram Ltd sets up oxygen generation plant at ESIC Ankleshwar. The CSR J. May 29, 2021.
43. Tech Mahindra Foundation and Mission Oxygen to set up 50 oxygen plants for charitable and government hospitals across India. Mahindra.com; May 12, 2021.
44. Gehlot inaugurates PowerGrid installed oxygen plant at Jaisalmer District Hospital. UNI India; June 4, 2021.
45. Singrauli: coal India arm northern coalfields to install oxygen plants in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Free Press Journal; May 10, 2021.
46. WCL gives Rs. 15.38 crores for oxygen plant at Nagpur & Chandrapur. Nagpur Today.
47. Jog S. Mandatory for pvt hospitals to set up oxygen plant: public health minister Rajesh Tope. Free Press Journal; April 16, 2021.
48. Dayal S. Gurgaon hospitals with 50 plus bed capacity directed to make own oxygen arrangements. The Indian Express; May 7, 2021.
49. Bagish. Gurugram. Times of India; May 6, 2021. 260 oxygen cylinders found in raid, racket was selling each for Rs 35,000.
50. Black marketing of oxygen concentrators: absconding businessman Navneet Kalra arrested. New S. 2021; 18(May 16).
51. PTI. Finance Ministry widens scope of ECLGS, banks to offer concessional loans for setting up oxygen plant. Deccan Herald; May 30, 2021.
52. Vrindavan C, Chinmaya Mission Tristate Center, May 26, 2021.
53. PPCR arranges 250 ventilators, 4,000 oxygen concentrators from Singapore. Hindustan Times; April 24, 2021.
54. Ghosh Abantika, Nair Remya. Modi Govt invited bids for 150 oxygen plants in October, Today, just 33 are up. Print. April 24, 2021.
2. Mukherjee Biman. India has always had enough oxygen. Fortune; May 18, 2021.
3. Uttar Pradesh tags 38 oxygen tankers for real-time supply tracking. Times of India; April 26, 2021.
4. India oxygen crisis: Tata Group donates cryogenic containers. Gasworld. April 21, 2021.
5. Union Government imports 20 cryogenic tankers of 10 MT and 20-MT capacity, allocates them to States. The Statesman; April 27, 2021.
6. Das AK. More oxygen expresses on the way to Haryana, MP, Telangana and UP. Swarajya. May 2, 2021.
7. Kagrana B. COVID-19 aid from Ukraine carrying 184 oxygen concentrators arrives in India. Repub World. May 31, 2021.
8. Joshi Mallica. Delhi to import 18 oxygen tankers from Bangkok, 21 oxygen plants from France: Kejriwal. Indian Express; April 27, 2021.
9. PTI. India received 2060 oxygen concentrators, three oxygen generation plants as foreign aid. The Hindu; May 8, 2021.
10. Choudhury S. How India ensured steady supply of medical oxygen; March 2, 2021.
11. PM CARES Fund Trust allocates Rs.201.58 crores for installation of 162 dedicated PSA Medical Oxygen Generation Plants in public health facilities. News release on pmindia.gov.in, January 5, 2021.
12. Assam has 8 oxygen plants producing 5.25 MT/day, 5 plants in process: Himanta Biswa. Sentinel. April 24, 2021.
13. O2 Plants being installed over 13 medical colleges, institutes in UP, Say Officals. Medical Dialogues Bureau; May 1, 2021.
14. Kumar VS. How Kerala became an oxygen-surplus State in one year. The Hindu; May 1, 2021.
15. CM Pinarayi Vijayan requests PM modi to provide 1,000 tonnes of LMO, vaccine doses to Kerala. New S. May 5, 2021; 18.
16. Odisha Police escorts 345 tankers carrying 6354.742-MT medical oxygen to states. New S Kerala. May 6, 2021.
17. Nair S. Palghar: 11 Covid patients die due to shortage of oxygen cylinders in Nalasopara. The Times of India; April 13, 2021.
18. Guenot Marianne. India’s COVID19 surge is highlighting a ruthless global black market for oxygen where sellers jack prices up to 1000%. Bus Insid. April 23, 2021.
19. Bihar: cops bust a black marketing racket of oxygen cylinders & concentrators; 225 cylinders seized. Times. May 10, 2021.
20. Cohen J. The grimmest days of the Covid-19 pandemic coincide with the most severe forms of rationing. Forbes; January 8, 2021.
21. Johnson TS. To breathe easy, use NIV instead of HFNO to conserve oxygen stock, Karnataka Govt urges hospitals. Indian Express; May 17, 2021.
22. Maharashtra: high-flow tube is guzzler of oxygen, avoids it, says task force. Times of India; April 16, 2021.
23. Bhusari Piyush. Audit helps Pune hospitals save 30 tonnes of oxygen a day. Times of India; May 8, 2021.
24. Oxygen audit panels set up in all hospitals. The Hindu. Thiruvananthapuram; May 15, 2021.
25. ’Save The Doctors’ Campaign, Facebook post; June 2, 2021.
26. Arora Gonika. ’Delhi oxygen crisis: Slight relief and a deadline for Centre from Supreme Court,’ India TV News; May 6, 2021.
27. Our trucks are being diverted midway. INOX informs Delhi HC that Rajasthan Govt had held up 4 oxygen tankers meant for Delhi, OpIndia, April 27, 2021.
28. Dikshit R. Uttar Pradesh: Chanda uli gives oxygen tankers”VIP” status to save transportation time; April 28, 2021.
29. Sinha Amitabh. Explained: the peak of India’s second wave of Covid-19 is in sight, but end may still be far away. Indian Express; May 14, 2021.
30. Govt launches”Project O2 for India” to increase supply of medical oxygen. Bus Today. June 13, 2021.
31. Madhya Pradesh: invest in oxygen plants and get up to Rs.75 crore aid,” Free Press Journal, May 4, 2021.
32. PTI. ’Maharashtra to give financial incentives for new oxygen-making units,’ India TV News; May 21, 2021.
33. PTI. ’Govt to procure 1 lakh portable oxygen concentrators, 500 more PSA oxygen plants from PM Cares Fund,’ Moneycontrol; April 28, 2021.
34. Surge hits a new peak; Centre approves 551 oxygen plants for Govt hospitals in districts. Indian Express; April 26, 2021.
35. India is Running Out of oxygen, COVID 19 patients are dying because the government wasted time. Scroll. April 18, 2021.
36. Medical oxygen supply crisis: 33 PSA plants installed, 4 in HP. Tribune; April 18, 2021.
37. Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates PSA based oxygen generating plant and booster set up by IGL; June 14, 2021. Available from: psuconnect.in [cited 30/6/2021].
38. Delhi: CM launches 22 oxygen plants at nine hospitals. The Hindu; June 13, 2021.
39. Maruti Suzuki in process of installing 24 oxygen plants in Govt hospitals. Business Standard; May 28, 2021.
40. DRDO to set up 500 medical oxygen plants within 3 months: Rajnath Singh. Times of India; April 28, 2021.
41. Oil PSUs to set up medical oxygen plants at 100 locations. Live Mint. May 6, 2021.
42. DCM Shriram Ltd sets up oxygen generation plant at ESIC Ankleshwar. The CSR J. May 29, 2021.
43. Tech Mahindra Foundation and Mission Oxygen to set up 50 oxygen plants for charitable and government hospitals across India. Mahindra.com; May 12, 2021.
44. Gehlot inaugurates PowerGrid installed oxygen plant at Jaisalmer District Hospital. UNI India; June 4, 2021.
45. Singrauli: coal India arm northern coalfields to install oxygen plants in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Free Press Journal; May 10, 2021.
46. WCL gives Rs. 15.38 crores for oxygen plant at Nagpur & Chandrapur. Nagpur Today.
47. Jog S. Mandatory for pvt hospitals to set up oxygen plant: public health minister Rajesh Tope. Free Press Journal; April 16, 2021.
48. Dayal S. Gurgaon hospitals with 50 plus bed capacity directed to make own oxygen arrangements. The Indian Express; May 7, 2021.
49. Bagish. Gurugram. Times of India; May 6, 2021. 260 oxygen cylinders found in raid, racket was selling each for Rs 35,000.
50. Black marketing of oxygen concentrators: absconding businessman Navneet Kalra arrested. New S. 2021; 18(May 16).
51. PTI. Finance Ministry widens scope of ECLGS, banks to offer concessional loans for setting up oxygen plant. Deccan Herald; May 30, 2021.
52. Vrindavan C, Chinmaya Mission Tristate Center, May 26, 2021.
53. PPCR arranges 250 ventilators, 4,000 oxygen concentrators from Singapore. Hindustan Times; April 24, 2021.
54. Ghosh Abantika, Nair Remya. Modi Govt invited bids for 150 oxygen plants in October, Today, just 33 are up. Print. April 24, 2021.