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“Constrained Medical Oxygen Supply Chain in India During COVID-19: Red-tapism, the Elephant in the Room?”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2022

Naveen R. Gowda Open the ORCID record for Naveen R. Gowda [Opens in a new window] ,
Vijaydeep Siddharth Open the ORCID record for Vijaydeep Siddharth [Opens in a new window] ,
Parmeshwar Kumar ,
H. Vikas ,
Prakash Swaminathan  and
Atul Kumar Open the ORCID record for Atul Kumar [Opens in a new window]
Naveen R. Gowda
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
Vijaydeep Siddharth
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
Parmeshwar Kumar
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
H. Vikas*
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
Prakash Swaminathan
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, New Delhi, India
Atul Kumar
Affiliation:
Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Head Quarter, New Delhi, India
*
Corresponding author: Vikas H, Email: vickygaddi@aiims.edu.
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Abstract

Background:

Recent disruption of medical oxygen during the second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused nationwide panic. This study attempts to objectively analyze the medical oxygen supply chain in India along the principles of value stream mapping (VSM), identify bottlenecks, and recommend systemic improvements.

Methods:

Process mapping of the medical oxygen supply chain in India was done. Different licenses and approvals, their conditions, compliances, renewals, among others were factored in. All relevant circulars (Government Notices), official orders, amendments, and gazette notifications pertaining to medical oxygen from April 2020 to April 2021 were studied and corroborated with information from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) official website.

Results:

Steps of medical oxygen supply chain right from oxygen manufacture to filling, storage, and transport up to the end users; have regulatory bottlenecks. Consequently, flow of materials is sluggish and very poor information flow has aggravated the inherent inefficiencies of the system. Government of India has been loosening regulatory norms at every stage to alleviate the crisis.

Conclusions:

Regulatory bottlenecks have indirectly fueled the informal sector over the years, which is not under Government’s control with difficulty in controlling black-marketing and hoarding. Technology enabled, data-driven regulatory processes with minimum discretionary human interface can make the system more resilient.

Keywords

medical oxygen crisisregulatory frameworksvalue stream mappinge-Governancedigital Indiahealth policyhealth services administration
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e296
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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