Jalandhar administration begins rationing of O2

Aparna Banerji

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 23

In view of the severe shortage of oxygen in Jalandhar, the district administration has begun rationing of oxygen in the district. The administration has also provided 11 oxygen concentrators to the Jalandhar Civil Hospital after the hospital ran out of oxygen late last night.

There are 60 private hospitals in the district, which are providing Covid facilties, and have 376 level-3 beds of which 261 are occupied. These hospitals have 147 ventilators of which 15 are currently in use.

Of the 2,200 oxygen cylinders being generated in the district, 1,884 have been allocated to the Civil Hospital and other private hospitals in Jalandhar. While of the 60 private hospitals, only three of them have their own plants, and thus face shortage of the gas with the number of symptomatic patients increasing.

As many as 254 oxygen cylinders have been allocated to the Civil Hospital, Mann Medicity (153), Shriman Super Speciality Hospital (135), Sarvodaya Hospital (123) and 100 each to Joshi Hospital, NHS Hospital, Johal Hospital and SGL Hospital.

A tug of war between the Civil Hospital and private hospitals amid the pandemic had become a cause for concern following which the oxygen supply to every hospital was fixed by the DC today.

Various private doctors said the Civil Hospital was being prioritised over private hospitals for the supply.

However, Dr Neelkanth Bhagat, anesthetist, Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, said, “Though we used to have a steady oxygen supply of six to seven hours earlier, last night, there was a crunch at the hospital. The supply reduced in April as the vehicles supplied cylinders here for just two hours and went to private hospitals. We have 130 to 150 cylinders from our own plant and need 250 to 300 more cylinders to meet the demand at the 56-bedded level-3 ICU.”

While presiding over a review meeting with health officials at the local Civil Hospital, ADC Vishesh Sarangal assured them of 13 oxygen concentrators at the hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said, “As many as 11 oxygen concentrators have been set up at the Civil Hospital, of which nine were already operational. Our liquified oxygen supply from Panipat has not come in for about a week.”