After Gorakhpur tragedy, Noida children’s hospital assures continuous oxygen supply

Following the death of 35 infants at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur due to lack of oxygen supply, the state health ministry has sent an advisory to all hospitals to ensure that the oxygen supply remains uninterrupted.

Dr AK Bhatt, director of Super Specialty Child Hospital and Post Graduate Institute in Noida said that the hospital has paid all outstanding amounts to the respective agency.

The Super Speciality Child PGI outsources oxygen cylinders from Seth Traders, a Delhi-based oxygen agency whose godown is located in DLF industrial area, Faridabad. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

Following the death of 35 infants at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur due to lack of oxygen supply, the state health ministry has sent an advisory to all government medical colleges and institutes in the state, asking the directors to ensure that the oxygen supply remains uninterrupted.

Dr Anita Bhatnagar, additional chief secretary of medical education, Uttar Pradesh, had sent this directive a day after the tragedy at Gorakhpur Hospital. Bhatnagar sent a written order to nine medical colleges and 12 prominent medical institutes in the state, directing them to clear outstanding bills of their respective oxygen supplying agency.

The oxygen supplying agency had cut off the supply after the administration of BRD Medical College did not pay an outstanding amount of Rs60 lakh.

“Even before the order, we were maintaining a clean record with our outsourcing agency when it comes to the oxygen supply. We also have an ample number of oxygen cylinders in our storage and are ready to deal with any crisis,” said Dr Bhatt.

The Super Speciality Child PGI outsources oxygen cylinders from Seth Traders, a Delhi-based oxygen agency whose godown is located in DLF industrial area, Faridabad. The process of choosing the agency is done through a tender decided by the state health department.

“We consume 40 cylinders, on an average, every day. We have a stock of 220 oxygen cylinders, including our reserves for emergencies. The agency provides 40 cylinders every day,” Dr Dinesh Kumar, registrar, Super Specialty Child PGI, said.

He said that in case of a problem with the supplying agency, they have other options as well. “There are three companies we are constantly in touch with. So, even if our outsourcing agency refuses to provide us cylinders, we can always contact the two companies. However, such a need has never arisen,” said Dr Kumar.

The gas supplying agency confirmed that the hospital has paid all overdue amounts.

“We supply cylinders to Child PGI Hospital and till now, we have had no problems with them,” said Tarun Seth, who works with the accounts department of Seth Traders.