Check firefighting system at GMCH-32, UT Engg Dept told

Chandigarh, April 26

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Over surge in virus caseload, Chandigarh Housing Board CEO Yashpal Garg, who has been assigned the overall responsibility of Covid management at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, today reviewed the arrangements and gave directions to ensure better treatment of corona patients.

Considering fire incidents in some hospitals in other parts of the country and especially due to sudden increase in consumption of oxygen, Garg directed the UT Engineering Department to immediately check the functionality of firefighting and fire-alarm systems at the GMCH-32 and the Sector 48 hospital.

Presiding over a meeting, Garg directed that fire escape maps need to be provided at the designated places in both hospitals. He directed to get all fire extinguishers checked for their validity and arrange a brief training for the staff about handling fire extinguishers.

“A mock drill to be arranged in such a way that there is no panic and routine activities are not affected,” he said.

He stated that all fire exists should remain clear all time and should not be blocked by idle stretchers/trolleys and all oxygen points to be get checked from some technician to ensure there was no leakage and were properly closed after use.

During the meeting, the Medical Superintendent (MS) informed that remdesivir was being arranged from the local market and there was a huge fluctuation in procurement prices. He stated that they had no alternative but to procure at the fluctuating rates till sufficient quantity was purchased for which e-tender had already been floated for 3,000 vials.

Garg said the government had fixed a quota of 5,000 remdesivir and immediate necessary action was to be taken for its procurement after getting it allocated from the Director Health Services to different hospitals.

He also directed to hire eight anaesthesia technicians on a contractual basis for Covid- ICUs.

On security preparedness, the MS stated that last year, arrangements of ‘Covid police’ were quite effective. To deal with agitated patients and their relatives, arrangement on similar lines were immediately needed for the GMCH-32 and the Sector 48 hospital.

Garg said the SSP might be asked to re-activate the system of ‘Covid police’ for the GMCH-32 and the Sector 48 hospital. For Sood Dharamshala, appropriate arrangements might be made after an assessment by the local police.

On minimum wastage of vaccine and oxygen, he said attempt should be made to bring the wastage down to the lowest possible, which is about 0.8 per cent and within the permissible limit of 1 per cent at the GMCH. — TNS