No functional oxygen plants, Mohali civil hospital forced to buy oxygen cylinders
With the three pressure swing adsorption oxygen-generating plants at the civil hospital in Phase 6 lying defunct for the past four months, the hospital has been forced to buy 150 oxygen cylinders every day
With the three pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen-generating plants at the civil hospital in Phase 6 lying defunct for the past four months, the hospital has been forced to buy 150 oxygen cylinders every day to ensure oxygen supply for patients. The cylinders are procured at an approximate cost of ₹300 per unit.

The hospital caters to the entire Mohali sub-division and nearby villages, and gets around 1,000 patients every day.
The PSA plants, with a capacity of 1,000 litres per plant, were installed by the district administration at the Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Medical Science, located on the hospital premises, in wake of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2021.
Mohali civil surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur said, “The plants come under the medical college’s purview and we have written to the college authorities and higher authorities for their repair, but nothing has been done.”
Dr Bhavneet Bhatti, principal of the medical college, said, “The Punjab Health System Corporation had installed the plants and we have already written to them for their repair. We are hopeful that it will be done soon.”
Financial crunch adding to woes
As per the records, the daily revenue of the hospital is around ₹35,000, translating to a little over ₹9 lakh per month. However, the hospital spends ₹3 lakh per month for fuel of three ambulances. As the hospital is not on the electricity hotline, ₹1 lakh is spent on diesel for generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply. The salaries of 65 outsourced employees add another ₹7 lakh per month. All these expenses are paid from the hospital income.
Although the hospital has been upgraded from 170 beds to 450 beds due to the medical college on the premises, the medicine supply is also erratic. A senior doctor at the hospital said, “We are not getting any support from the medical college. Though the hospital has been upgraded, the quota of medicine has not increased. We are facing a major financial crunch.”
Dr Kaur informed that they were hopeful of getting a ₹50-lakh grant, pending with the National Health Mission for six months, soon.
