Eye on Omicron, states told to be ready with O2, equipment

In a review meeting with the states and UTs, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised states to ensure the gap between equipment and systems delivered to the districts and installed at the healthcare facilities is reduced to zero.

  • Updated On Dec 16, 2021 at 07:04 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Amid concerns about a possible surge in Covid-19 cases due to the new Omicron variant, the Centre on Wednesday reviewed the status of oxygen supply, equipment, ventilators and concentrators among other things with states and UTs, urging them to monitor their availability on a daily basis to ensure that there is absolute preparedness to tackle any rise in the number of infections.

In a review meeting with the states and UTs, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised states to ensure the gap between equipment and systems delivered to the districts and installed at the healthcare facilities is reduced to zero.

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States have also been asked to conduct mock drills of all installed and commissioned PSA plants to ensure that they are fully operational so that oxygen of required quantity, pressure and purity reaches the intended patients at their bedside. These drills are to be completed by the end of December, the health ministry said.

Uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen in sufficient quantity is of critical importance to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre said.

While equipment and systems have been sanctioned and delivered, in many states these have not been sent to district health facilities and when delivered, some have not been made functional, Bhushan said.

State nodal officers were requested to streamline coordination with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES) and Central Medical Services Society (CMSS) for resolution of electricity-related and site- related issues for ensuring quick operationalisation of the entire medical oxygen supply infrastructure supplied to them.

So far, a total of 3,236 PSA plants have been installed in the country from various sources with a total commissioned oxygen capacity of 3,783 MT. Moreover, 1,14,000 oxygen concentrators are being provided to states under PM-CARES (1 lakh) and 14,000 from Emergency Covid Relief Package (ECRP-II), the government said.

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It was also pointed out that ECRP-II funds have been sanctioned to them for installation of 958 LMO storage tanks and medical gas pipeline systems in 1,374 hospitals.

  • Published On Dec 16, 2021 at 07:04 AM IST
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