Chandigarh, April 24: Punjab Chief Minister CaptainAmarinder Singh on Saturday ordered shutdown of operations in the state’s ironand steel industries to divert Oxygen for medical use, along with immediateestablishment of Oxygen Control Rooms at the state and district levels amid theescalating Oxygen crisis in the state, where 6 patients died of O2 shortage ata private hospital in Amritsar this morning.
He has also directed DC Amritsar to initiate a thoroughinvestigation into the tragic incident at the Amritsar hospital. The DC hasbeen asked to ascertain the facts and circumstances leading to the deaths atthe hospital, which prima facie seemed to have flouted orders given to allprivate hospitals with Oxygen shortage to shift their patients to GovernmentMedical Colleges. The DC has set up a 2-member committee, comprising a PCSofficer, Dr Rajat Oberoi (Deputy Director Local Bodies), who is also inchargeof the death analysis committee, and a civil surgeon Amritsar, to probe thematter, an official spokesperson said later.
Taking stock of the situation in view of the Oxygenshortages being reported from various hospitals, and the fact that the currentallocation to Punjab is not sufficient to meet the urgent needs, the ChiefMinister said he had already taken up the matter with the Centre, seekingincrease in quota on urgent basis, and Chief Secretary, Vini Mahajan, wasfollowing it up. Sudden influx of patients from neighbouring States had putadded burden on oxygen requirement of Punjab, he noted.
Ordering closure of industrial operations at the iron andsteel plants, the Chief Minister said the state government will convey itsdecision to the Centre. The Chief Minister has also asked for a feasibilityreport from the Power Department on use of thermal plants for providing oxygenfor medical use.
Punjab has witnessed a sharp increase in demand over thepast few days. Demand for Oxygen currently stands at 250 MT per day and isfurther expected to go up to 300 MT in the coming days on account of spirallingCovid cases.
The Chief Minister also directed that contracted oxygensupply under private hospitals may be reviewed to ensure that oxygen supply is optimallyused and rationalised across the State. Reacting to reports of increase in the price of oxygen by suppliers, heasked PSIC to discuss, negotiate and settle the pricing with bulk suppliers andinform Principal Secretary, Medical Education & Research, on the finaldecision.
In another decision, he ordered PHSC to procure 100 moreOxygen concentrators, including 50 approved earlier, in addition to 234 Oxygenconcentrators already being utilised in Covid facilities. It was pointed out that Oxygen concentratorscan support L2 facilities with current patient load, and also help increase thenumber of L2 beds in facilities such as in Tarn Taran and in Gurdaspur wheremore L2 beds are needed.
Principal Secretary Industries has been directed by the ChiefMinister to urgently set up the State Control Room at Udyog Bhawan, Chandigarh,with support from Director Industries and Commerce, with other officers, asrequired, to be provided by the Personnel Department. The PS Industries hasalso been asked to get the control rooms in districts set up at theearliest.
The state control room will ensure that all oxygen supplyfrom within Punjab and from outside is closely supervised and directlymonitored by the government. The Chief Minister directed the Department ofHealth & Family Welfare and Punjab Police to provide all necessary supportin this regard. The district level control rooms will map all oxygen vendors,suppliers, bottlers and re-fillers for each hospital, so that it can monitorand facilitate oxygen provision accordingly.
Vini Mahajan said later that two senior officers, HarpreetSudan (IAS) and Rahul Gupta (PCS), are being posted to the state control roomto coordinate all activities. In view of shortage of oxygen cylinders, alldistricts having industries with empty unused cylinders would be asked to usethose, such that they can be refilled for medical use.