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Private vendor to provide 13 tonnes of oxygen to Thane, supply to 350 beds to be restored
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) on Wednesday evening finalised a deal with a private vendor to provide 13 tons of oxygen
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) on Wednesday evening finalised a deal with a private vendor to provide 13 tons of oxygen. Along with this, 350 beds will receive oxygen supply by Thursday morning within the Parking Plaza facility. This move has come into effect 11 days after 30 patients were shifted from the parking plaza facility to Global Covid Hospital due to a shortage of oxygen supply.
Due to lack of regular oxygen supply, at least 1,500 oxygen beds in two of Thane’s civic-run hospitals have gone unused for the past 11 days. This had led to the deterioration of the health of Covid-19 patients currently admitted, as well as a backlog in the admission of severe patients.
Sandeep Malvi, deputy municipal commissioner, TMC, said, “A private vendor has been finalised on Wednesday evening; they will initially provide 13 ton of oxygen supply to Parking Plaza by Thursday morning. This will restore supply to 350 oxygen and ICU beds and gradually will focus on providing oxygen for the others beds. Parking Plaza has 800 oxygen beds and 200 ICU beds. Currently, there are 375 general beds which are occupied with Covid positive patients.”
The work to set up a 47-ton oxygen plant, that can refill 175 oxygen cylinders, has now begun at the parking plaza. The work is slated to be completed within a week. TMC officials also informed that by Friday all the 800 oxygen beds in the facility will be available for patients.
Currently, Thane city has only 124 beds with an oxygen facility and 61 beds with intensive care unit (ICU) available in civic-run Covid hospitals. Two oxygen plants will be operational by April 30.
Two of the three dedicated Covid hospitals (DCH) run by the TMC – Parking Plaza and Voltas Company hospitals – have not used the oxygen beds (in the former case, since April 10), as the amount of oxygen supplied to the civic body by the state has reduced drastically.
The city receives 34 tonnes of oxygen, from both a private vendor and the state. However, this was insufficient to meet the demands of the oxygen beds run by the TMC.
While Global Covid Hospital has 929 oxygen beds, the Parking Plaza has 800 oxygen beds, the civic body has now finalised another vendor who will provide around 13 ton of oxygen to the Parking Plaza by Thursday morning. The civic body will gradually focus on providing oxygen for the other beds, including ICU.
TMC’s Covid hospital at Vartak Nagar (Voltas Company Hospital) is not operational yet. The city till Wednesday evening was receiving only 23 tons of oxygen. Since Global Covid Hospital was the only facility that has the capacity for patients requiring oxygen, all such patients are currently shifted there.
State cabinet minister and Thane’s guardian minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday surveyed Parking Plaza and the commencement of work to set up an oxygen plant.
“We are coming up with one jumbo tank that will have the capacity of 47 tons that can refill 175 oxygen cylinders. The work for the same will be completed within a week and the oxygen will suffice for the beds within Parking Plaza. Once this plant is built, Parking Plaza Hospital will function full-fledged,” said Shinde.
“In all three new plants for oxygen are being built; two of these will have a capacity of 175 metric tonnes. We shall also increase the number of oxygen beds to accommodate the 300 cylinders, such that the Parking Plaza will have [a total increased capacity of] 800 oxygen beds. Moreover, another plant will be set up, the cost of which will be borne by MMRDA. Once the oxygen supply is restored and functions properly, we shall focus on increasing the beds as well,” said Dr Vipin Sharma, commissioner, TMC at the general body held on Tuesday.
“When the plant is operational, the city will get 50 tonnes of oxygen daily. We can use 47 tonnes for our patients while three tonnes can be provided to private hospitals,” added a senior officer from TMC.
