Health Ministry requests not to sell, distribute oxygen gas cylinders without its recommendation

KATHMANDU, May 9: The Ministry of Health and Population has requested gas manufacturing companies not to sell and distribute oxygen gas cylinders without Ministry’s recommendation. 

Writing a letter to gas manufacturing companies, the Ministry requested them not to sell and distribute oxygen gas cylinders to any government and private hospital without Ministry’s recommendation in order to curb shortage of oxygen cylinders in treatment of Covid-19 patients. 

Writing the letter to Kantipur Oxygen Pvt Ltd, Sagarmatha Oxygen Pvt Ltd, Oxytech Oxygen Pvt Ltd, Nabajyoti Oxygen Pvt Ltd, Hamro Oxygen Pvt Ltd, Sopan Pharmaceuticals Pvt td, Himal Oxygen Pvt Ltd, Sita Oxygen Pvt Ltd and Shankar Oxygen Pvt Ltd, among others, Division Chief of Ministry’s Risk Management Unit and Health Emergency Operation Centre, Dr Gunraj Lohani, urged this as many corona virus infected people might need oxygen gas due to second wave of Covid-19.

The letter reads, “It is requested not to sell and distribute oxygen gas cylinders to any government, community and private hospital without Ministry’s recommendation as it is necessary to make sell and distribution of oxygen gas cylinders more systematic at a time when many corona virus patients are in need of oxygen gas in second wave of Covid-29 pandemic.”

The Ministry said that action would be taken against those oxygen gas manufacturing companies if oxygen gas cylinders are found sold and distributed without recommendation of the Ministry. 

The government has made preparation to bring 20,000 empty oxygen gas cylinders from China. An aircraft of the Nepal Airlines Corporation is leaving for China on May 10 to bring 400 oxygen gas cylinders in the first phase.