DistrictAdministration Jalandhar has come up with a multi-pronged strategy to tacklethe oxygen shortage in hospitals as Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori todayexhorted all the private hospitals and industries to install pressure swingadsorption (PSA) based oxygen plants in their premises.
Divulgingthe details, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said that it was the need ofthe hour to adopt oxygen-saving methods to ensure that sufficient amounts ofthis precious life-saving gas were available to Covid-19 patients. He statedthat all the private hospitals and industries were asked to install PSA oxygenplants, which would help Covid care institutions to meet the requisite oxygenrequirements.
Inanother development, the deputy commissioner further shares a presentation withoxygen vendors and hospitals to adopt practices of rational utilization ofoxygen. These methods include correct identification and re-classification ofpatients as per their oxygen requirements, understanding the centralized supplysystem and eliminating wastage, segregating patients not requiring O2 at theseparate floor, speeding up the installation process of air separation units(ASUs) in hospitals, method of emptying liquid oxygen from containers toprevent wastage, and others, the DC said.
Thedeputy commissioner further asked all private hospitals to postpone electivesurgeries in their respective institutions to ensure sufficient availability ofoxygen to Covid-19 patients across facilities. Mr. Thori also allowed thesupply of oxygen to nine industry segments only after fulfilling the hospitals'requirements.
These industries include Ampoules & Vials, pharmaceuticals,Petroleum refineries, Steel Plants, Nuclear Energy Facilities, Oxygen CylinderManufacturers, Wastewater Treatment Plants, Food & Water Purification, andProcess Industries which require the uninterrupted operation of furnaces,process, etc, he added. The DC said that the supply to these industries wouldonly be made after written approval from Assistant Commissioner Hardeep Singhand Deputy Commissioner Local Government Darbara Singh, who have been appointedas nodal officers in this matter.
Notably,the district administration has already requested health department to provideone liquid oxygen tanker (16 MT) per day to meet the daily demand of oxygen gasin Jalandhar district. A letter in this regard was already sent to MD PunjabHealth Systems Corporation on April 19, 2021 to provide additional supply ofliquid oxygen.