A healthcare worker holds an oxygen cylinder outside a factory as he waits to get it refilled, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease in New Delhi, India, April 28, 2021. — Reuters picBENGALURU, April 30 — Doctors and scientists in India are warning of the dire hazards of trying to make medical oxygen at home as the country faces a shortage of the gas in its Covid-19 battle and various videos and tips on DIY methods do the rounds on social media.
“There is a scientifically proven method to produce medical oxygen through concentrators. Any other means to try making the gas at home involves many risks like chances of toxic gases being inhaled and explosions,” A Ravikumar, secretary of the Indian Medical Association for the southern state of Tamil Nadu, told Reuters.
“Such an approach could even be deleterious if it leads to delays in seeking appropriate healthcare,” he told Reuters.