<span style="color: #222222;">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today assured to ramp up supply of oxygen and Remdesivir to the States. She emphasised on the need for adopting micro containment strategy in dealing with the second surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Minister was addressing more than 150 senior industry captains in a virtual interaction organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">She said, unlike last time the country now has important tools like vaccines and medicines to deal with the pandemic. She added that the government is taking several measures including importing medical oxygen, round the clock working of the oxygen filling stations and allowing containers used for nitrogen and argon to be used for oxygen to ensure oxygen supply.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Finance Minister also gave details of government initiatives to help ramp up the capacity of Remdesivir from 36 lakh vials per month to 78 lakh vials per month. The Minister praised the Indian Industry for its extreme forbearance, patience and perseverance. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">During the interaction, Confederation of Indian Industry, CII members manufacturing Remdesivir apprised the Finance Minister that they were in fact working towards exceeding the committed target of 78 lakh vials per month and aiming to reach a production of 1 crore vials per month.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Elaborating on the recent announcements on the vaccination, the Minister said that the CII's suggestions on opening up of the vaccination to all adults, allowing industry to vaccinate its employees and their families and allowing vaccine imports have all been accepted in the policy. The government has also cleared an advance payment of Rs 4,600 crore to Serum Institute of India and Bharat BioTech to help them ramp up capacities.</span><br />''  <br />