Amid spiraling coronavirus fatalities across the Jammu region, the Jammu and Kashmir government has said that it will augment the oxygen generation infrastructure in the division.
Apart from the recently commissioned oxygen generation plants, many units are already being installed at different hospitals across Jammu province, an official said, adding that amid the increased demand and augmented capacities, authorities have started a comprehensive audit of oxygen requirement, supplies and availability.
15K LPM plants for GMCH Jammu
Secretary tribal affairs and Covid in-charge of containment efforts in Jammu province, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the government has sanctioned 15,000 LPM capacity oxygen generation plants for Government Medical College, Jammu, and its associated hospitals against which 6,100 LPM capacity plants have been commissioned in the last two weeks and a letter of intent (LOI) has been issued for 2,500 LPM capacity plants while efforts are on to procure units of other capacities as well.
In Samba, Rajouri and Reasi, oxygen generation plants of 1200 LPM, 3000 LPM and 1200 LPM capacities have been approved against which an installation of 1,000 LPM each had been commissioned last week. In Doda, installation of an 750 LPM plant is underway and additional capacity of 2250LPM will be augmented. In Kishtwar, a letter of intent has been issued for 1,500 LPM capacity whereas in Ramban, installation of 1,000 LPM plant has been initiated and a letter of intent issued for another 500 LPM plant.
A 2,250 LPM oxygen generation plant has been installed in Kathua while a letter of intent has been issued for installation of two oxygen plants at Poonch and Mandi of 2,200 LPM and 2,00 LPM, respectively. In Udhampur, a 1,000 LPM plant is under installation and letter of intent has been issued for another 2,000 LPM. Chief engineer MED Naresh Khajuria along with technical team are making efforts to ensure timely commission of oxygen generation plants.
{{/usCountry}}A 2,250 LPM oxygen generation plant has been installed in Kathua while a letter of intent has been issued for installation of two oxygen plants at Poonch and Mandi of 2,200 LPM and 2,00 LPM, respectively. In Udhampur, a 1,000 LPM plant is under installation and letter of intent has been issued for another 2,000 LPM. Chief engineer MED Naresh Khajuria along with technical team are making efforts to ensure timely commission of oxygen generation plants.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Choudhary said the oxygen audit will help to peg the requirement at maximum bed capacity of hospitals, corresponding oxygen supply needed, availability of oxygen generation plants, oxygen cylinders and concentrators.
The oxygen war room working under supervision of Jammu director industries and commerce, Jammu, Anu Malhotra is operating round-the-clock to ensure minimising turn around of cylinder refill and rushing the supplies to hospitals with equal focus on hospitals in far flung areas.
800 more O2 supported beds added in Jammu
The government has added nearly 800 more oxygen supported beds in Jammu in a week to augment the existing bed capacity, as a part of ongoing capacity building of hospitals in wake of rising cases of Covid-19 reported over the last month. Meanwhile, bed capacity in two major private hospitals has been increased by 60 beds. There are now 3,283 oxygen supported beds in Jammu.
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha 6 had set a target of bed capacity enhancement of 1,325 beds, of which 800 has been achieved in a week.
As many as 148 beds have been added to Government Medical College, 34 to GMC Kathua, 80 to GMC Doda, 30 to GMC Rajouri, 438 to hospitals managed by the directorate of health services, 30 to ASCOMS Sidhra, 30 to Narayana hospital Katra.
Ventilators lying unused in rural areas being sent back to GMCH Jammu
Ventilators given to Jammu and Kashmir under the PM CARES Fund, which have been gathering dust in rural hospitals, will now be brought to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu for optimum utilisation.
Balvinder Singh, a social activist said J&K had received around 400 ventilators under PM CARES Fund and most of them were sent to community health centres, primary health centres and sub district hospitals despite knowing that these institutions do not have the required infrastructure to install these ventilators and make them functional.
To run ventilators 24x7 electricity, interrupted oxygen supply, trained technicians and at least two anaesthetists are required. The managing director of Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Dr Yashpal Sharma has now issued instructions to the health directors to send such unused ventilators from peripheral institutions in rural areas to the government medical college and hospital in Jammu. Since Wednesday around 35 ventilators from rural areas have been sent to GMCH Jammu.