Import Duty on covid19 vaccine and medicines waived off for 3 months

Government of India exempt import duty in an attempts to curtail the gap between the availability of basic health facilities and rising covid19 patients across country.

Virtual meeting chaired by PM Mr. Modi, attended by the Finance Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharman, Health Minister Dr. Harsha wardhan, Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Pyush Goel and the AIIMS, Delhi Director Dr. Randeep Guleria, Member of NITI Ayog, Secretaries of the department of Revenue, Health and DPIIT and other officials. PM stated there has been an immediate need of providing the basic necessities to the patients like medical oxygen, equipments, life saving drugs like Remdesivir and other important apparatus to the hospitals and for care at home.

Decision to grant full exemption from Basic Customs Duty and health cess on import of the following items related to Oxygen and Oxygen related equipment for a period of three months with immediate effect will boost the production and availability to meet the rising demand. All Ministries and various Department to work in tendom to ensure the oxygen and medical supplies at the earliest.

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1. Medical grade Oxygen
2. Oxygen concentrator along with flow meter, regulator, connectors and tubing
3. Vacuum Pressure Swing Absorption (VPSA) and Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) oxygen plants, Cryogenic Oxyge1n Air Separation Units (ASUs) producing liquid/ gaseous oxygen
4. Oxygen Cannister
5. Oxygen Filling Systems
6. Oxygen Storage tanks, Oxygen cylinders including cryogenic cylinders and tanks
7. Oxygen Generators
8. ISO Containers for Shipping Oxygen
9. Cryogenic Road transport tanks for Oxygen
10. Parts of the above to be used for the manufacture of equipment for production, transportation, distribution or storage of Oxygen
11. Any other device from which Oxygen can be generated
12. Ventilators (capable of functioning as high-flow devices) with nasal canula; Compressors including all accessories and tubing; humidifiers and Viral filters
13. High flow nasal canula device with all attachments
14. Helmets for use with non-invasive ventilation
15. Non-invasive ventilation oronasal masks for ICU ventilators
16. Non-invasive ventilation nasal masks for ICU ventilators

Steps taken by the government to improve supply of Oxygen to the hospitals across the country

1. IAF planes are bringing in cryogenic oxygen tanks from Singapore
2. IAF transporting cryogenic oxygen to states to reduce travel time
3. Free food grains given to 80 crore Indians for the month of May, June 2021