Chandigarh readies for ‘third wave’, says can’t take chances
Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 25
“We are absolutely in no denial this time that there won’t be another Covid wave, which is why we are utilising this time to strengthen our infrastructure to control a possible third wave and are also trying to prevent it by vaccinating 7,12,000 people in Chandigarh by July-end,” said Dr Amandeep Kaur Kang, Director, Health Services, UT.
“To begin with, Chandigarh is all set to set up two PSA oxygen plants with 200 litre per minute capacity at any two civil hospitals – Sector 22, 45 or Mani Majra. This is being done to counter shortage of oxygen quota, due to which the UT was found wanting in the second wave,” said Dr Kang.
The PGI will also set up three oxygen plants of 1,000 litre per minute capacity.
UT’s big jab plan
Chandigarh’s 57 per cent of the eligible population has been vaccinated with the first dose, while 11 per cent of the population has received the second dose. “As far as prevention goes, we aim to vaccinate 7,12,000 beneficiaries of the city by July-end and begin with mop-up rounds through house-to-house vaccination till August 15,” said Dr Amandeep Kaur Kang, Director, Health Services, UT.
Earlier, the UT Administration had to request the Centre to raise its oxygen quota from 20 MT to 35 MT. Of the 20 MT quota of oxygen, about 17 MT is directly used at the GMCH, Sector 32, the GMSH, Sector 16, and the hospital in Sector 48. The remaining 3 MT oxygen is given to a private vendor in Dera Bassi to refill oxygen cylinders of government hospitals of the UT Administration and private hospitals of the city.
“Whether or not a third wave affects children, we do not want to be caught off guard and have decided to convert the Civil Hospital, Sector 45, into a tertiary care hospital with 12 paediatric ICUs and 30 oxygenated beds. We will equip this centre with BiPAP machines and step-down ICUs, and provide adequate manpower by hiring on a contract basis,” the Director said.
The Health Department is also stocking oxygen concentrators, D-type cylinders and flow meters, which were in short supply during the second wave, to avoid shortage of these in a possible next wave.
Dr Kang said, “We have also procured essential drugs such as remdesivir and tocilizumab among others and have already stocked these so that we do not face any shortage.”
Faulty ventilators a hindrance
The PGI, the GMSH and the GMCH plan to increase their ventilator strength. However, 44 units provided under the PM CARES Fund have been found faulty. This will mar the preparation for a possible third wave as doctors do not want to risk patients’ life by using substandard ventilators. The hospitals were barely able to raise the ventilator bed count during the second wave.
