E-Paper
Pune has four times more oxygen stock than required: Mhaisekar
The government is monitoring all the oxygen supply vehicles by GPS to identify the locations of the vehicles
The Pune division has enough oxygen supply and there’s no need to worry about oxygen supply in any crises, claimed Pune divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar.
Many Covid positive patients require oxygen as oxygen levels drop after catching the Covid-19 infection.
Mhaisekar said, “I myself conducted the meeting with oxygen suppliers for various hospitals and various medical units. All the manufacturers had given details and made clear that oxygen cylinders are available at large numbers and they have four times more stock than the requirement.”
According to Dr H K Sale of Noble hospital, the oxygen supply is regular but it is true that all of a sudden the demand has increased.
“Earlier we use to need a vehicle once in a week but now requirement has been increased and daily there is a supply requirement. Though the demand has increased, the supply has been regular but some hospitals or small units might be receiving a late delivery,” Dr Sale said.
The government is monitoring all the oxygen supply vehicles by GPS to identify the locations of the vehicles, Dr Sale added.
Dr Bharat Purandare from Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital said, “There is no shortage in the number of oxygen supply as such but there is a shortage in the number of oxygen beds. We are not yet facing any shortage in oxygen supply for the beds that we have.”
Mhaisekar promised that at any given crisis, there would be no medical oxygen supply crises.
There were complaints that citizens are not getting oxygen in some hospitals but the administration claimed that there are no such specific complaints with them. However, the administration accepted that there are complaints about not getting oxygenated supported beds or ICU beds.
Yash Gunjal, one of the contractors who are involved in oxygen supply related business said, “Almost all the suppliers have enough stock of oxygen cylinders. Even at their industrial units, enough oxygen is available. On the supply side, there are no issues at all.”
Dr Sanjay Lalwani from Bharati Vidyapeeth hospital said, “We have our own oxygen plant which ensures that we have a constant supply of oxygen. To depend on oxygen cylinders at this time is suicidal because a Covid-19 patient requires a lot of oxygen and so we cannot depend on an external factor.”
