Rewind 2021 – Oxygen crisis prompts all health facilities to become Atmanirbhar

It was the suddenness and the intensity of the second Covid-19 wave that took India by surprise. None of us were prepared for this speed of development, this kind of rapidity with which it spread. Or it can be said that, India had not prepared in time, ever since the outbreak.

Our health systems misconstrued the need of oxygen to fight this pandemic. It was apparent we did not have adequate supplies for the humongous increase in demand, even five-fold in some states. At this time, on-site oxygen generators emerged as the best alternative to traditional liquid supply or filled cylinders. With an oxygen generator, health facilities, whether a small nursing home or large hospital, were able to secure a steady flow of pure oxygen, produced directly at the site. It was also an eye opener for manufacturers, when it is proven that indigenous development of such products is the way to bring in more benefits to our nation.

Oxygen supply to the hospitals which is mostly centralised resulted in a severe strain on the supply chain during the pandemic. In hindsight, the government should try to localise oxygen supply at the hospital level. This emphasizes upon need of government regulations and policies to encourage the market finding its way around this ‘new’ oxygen supply source. On-site oxygen generators are the wise and safe option when choosing hospital oxygen supply.

PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) medical oxygen generators have also been proposed as an answer to the high cost and logistical problems associated with the traditional methods of oxygen supply. Medical oxygen, which is a life-saving necessity is in limited supply in the developing world, where studies have shown that most health facilities have inadequate oxygen availability and the factors that are important for ensuring oxygen supply vary between facilities. Having a reliable oxygen supply is an important goal for health facilities and reinforces the emphasis on PSA as an alternative means.

The medical gases sector is in the midst of a shift in standards. Meanwhile, an evolution has been underway in medical gas generation gaining even more traction in recent years as both technology has advanced and product legislation itself has developed. With the introduction of the Oxygen 93 Monograph in 2011, which made it possible to deliver 93 percent PSA produced oxygen to hospital patients in full compliance with strict international standards, medical gas industry is poised to change. Liquid oxygen (LOX) at 99 percent purity may have some advantages for metal cutting, but not necessarily for medical applications. Some local authorities require 99 percent purity oxygen due to old regulations. However, with the acceptance of international specifications, these older specifications are being revised to 93 percent. This can cause the power demand to rise for some states, but here manufacturers like Compair can help with its most energy-efficient PSA.

Amidst pandemic, despite the slowed down industry and uncertain market, Compair was able to strengthen its production and on-site services to support the surge in demand. Even as the raw-material supply chains were hurt, understanding the seriousness of the sector, Compair responsibly managed to execute all its orders on time without deviating from standards and without substituting its reputed suppliers. Increasing exports and expanding sales network are the focus for 2022. Compair is adding to its production space and techniques for augmenting its infrastructure. Apart from this, we also plan to roll out new products and advanced technologies, for more energy-efficiency, by strengthening our in-house R&D division. We are proud to say that with our innovation and indigenization concept, we have become one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of PSA oxygen gas generators and our sales team plan to add multiple new markets in the year 2022.

2022 needs to be the stepping-stone for what we aim to achieve in the forthcoming decade to make Bharat truly Atmanirbhar to deal with the situation. Our tomorrow will be shaped by our actions today and we certainly must not let the lessons learnt from Covid-19 be forgotten or wasted. Introducing PSA onsite medical oxygen generators could represent significant savings, as much as 50-70 percent of a hospital’s total cost for medical gases. In most cases, the payback time on that investment is expected to be 6-24 months. There are clearly many benefits of using on-site oxygen gas generators, not least the cost and flexibility, while these systems are easy to install, operate and maintain. Over the years oxygen generators and oxygen filling stations have saved many lives, so why not increase self-sufficiency and embrace on-site oxygen generators as part of the medical oxygen supply package.