NASHIK: Amid the alarming rise in Covid-19 patients and acute shortage of medical oxygen in Nashik district, oxygen plants will be set up in nine hospitals to generate medical oxygen permanently. It has been approved to spend Rs 10.88 crore for this from the district annual scheme. This will help in solving the issue of medical oxygen as oxygen plants would be set up in most government hospitals in the district.
Given the increasing number of Covid-19 patients, District Guardian Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had instructed the district administration to arrange oxygen beds permanently in a government hospital; at every taluka place. Oxygen beds have been arranged at every taluka place then. However, there is a huge shortage of medical oxygen due to insufficient supply.
Bhujbal had then ordered the district administration to set up oxygen generation plants at four sub-district and four rural hospitals, including the district civil hospital. Accordingly, District Collector Suraj Mandhare gave administrative approval worth Rs 10.88 crore for setting up oxygen generation plants in 10 hospitals in the first phase. In the first phase, oxygen generation plants will be set up in the district civil hospital and sub-district hospitals at Manmad, Yeola, Kalwan, and Chandwad.
The plants will also be set up in rural hospitals at Sinnar, Pimpalgaon Baswant, Igatpuri, and Wani. The plants will be operationalised within a month. A total of 860 jumbo cylinders of oxygen will be generated daily through these plants.
No requirement for liquid oxygen
There will be no requirement for liquid medical oxygen after setting up these oxygen-generating plants. Natural medical oxygen will be generated in the plants. The maintenance cost will also be saved. These plants will help in regularizing the medical oxygen supply in the current pandemic situation.
Nashik will get 100 MT oxygen daily
Nashik district has emerged as a Covid19 hotspot in the country, and some patients have lost their lives due to insufficient supply of oxygen. Nashik will now get the supply of 100 metric tonnes of medical oxygen daily, informed MP Hemant Godse. Over the last few days, there has been a shortage of medical oxygen in the entire Nashik district, including the city. The relatives of the patients were facing many difficulties in getting the oxygen supply.
A delegation of doctors had met MP Godse last week and demanded to make the medical oxygen available. MP Godse had then collected information about the supply of oxygen, along with the officials of the Food and Drug Administration on April 22nd. At present, the district has more than 50,000 active patients. The government was supplying only 75 metric tonnes of medical oxygen for the district.
MP Godse had insisted on a supply of 105 metric tonnes of medical oxygen daily for Nashik. Taking note of the demand and considering the increasing number of patients in the entire district, the government on Monday sent a letter to the district administration, stating to provide 100 metric tonnes of oxygen daily for Nashik.
“There are a total of nine oxygen generation centres in the district. Oxygen is produced directly from the air by two of these centres. However, that proportion is very small. The government had approved a daily quota of only 85 metric tonnes of oxygen. However, only 75 metric tonnes of oxygen was being made available for Nashik. After the number of patients, requirements, and the number of deaths were brought to the government’s notice, they agreed to supply 100 metric tonnes of medical oxygen daily.” – Hemant Godse, MP
