New Delhi, Dec 22 (Agency) Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar inaugurated the National Oxygen Stewardship Program of the Union Health Ministry, at AIIMS New Delhi on Wednesday. The initiative aims to empower all healthcare workers engaged in Oxygen management and administration with the essential knowledge and skills to ensure rational utilization and avoid any wastage of medical Oxygen, especially under resource constraint settings, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. With the initiative, the Centre envisages to identify and train at least one “Oxygen Steward” in each district across the country where these trained professionals would be responsible for leading the training on Oxygen therapy and management in their respective districts, it added.
Speaking on the occasion, Pawar said the country witnessed an exponential rise in the demand for oxygen during the second wave of the COVID pandemic, hence, the rational use of oxygen has become mandatory and the need of the hour. Commenting on the Oxygen Stewardship Program, she said the program will “enhance the skills of our healthcare workers in Oxygen therapy with necessary focus on essential knowledge and skills”. “This will also train our participants to avoid wastage or overuse of oxygen in resource constraint settings including issues faced during Oxygen crisis, learnings, and averting further crisis situations, she said. Speaking further, Pawar also informed that the Centre has sanctioned more than 1500 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plants, of which, 1463 have been commissioned while 1225 among them have been installed already.