Following the chaos over oxygen shortage in Delhi and other States, the Odisha government has decided to tag vehicles carrying the cylinders with global positioning systems (GPS).
The GPS tagging is expected to help authorities keep a tab on the movement of oxygen-laden vehicles from source points to hospitals.
Issuing modalities for meeting the demand for oxygen cylinders, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, said “the medical superintendents or chief medical officers would engage vehicles for transportation of the oxygen cylinders by utilising existing vehicles or by hiring private vehicles by following financial guidelines. The details of these vehicles must be shared with the local drug inspectors for GPS tagging.” Mr. Mohapatra instructed.
Besides, the drug inspector of the district would have to ensure timely dispatch of the empty cylinders to the assigned fillers and inform his counterpart for timely filling of the cylinders, according to the modalities.
Moreover, the drugs inspector would identify collection point in consultation with the medical superintendents and CDMO, and assign transport vehicles to each collection point.
In Odisha, the current oxygen consumption hovers around 26 metric tonne a day, the production capacity is around 130 metric tonnes a day through cylinders and 375 metric tonnes through liquid medical oxygen (LMO).
In healthcare facilities, about 70 MT of oxygen is produced through cylinders and the LMO was 60 MT. An LMO plant is likely to be operational in MKCG Medical College Hospital by second week of May. The State government sources said procurement had been initiated for setting up LMO storage tanks at 15 locations, including at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Burla.
The government had started the process of procurement 8000 D types cylinders and 10,000 B cylinders. Besides, the Centre is setting up 14 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plant out of PM Care Funds for ensuring oxygen supply at hospitals in district headquarters.
Meanwhile, the State government claimed to have increased bed capacity including COVID-19 Care Centres beds with oxygen to 20,347. While, 2,140 (24.37%) beds out of 8,782 beds have been occupied, the occupation of ICU beds has gone up to 30.71% with 748 serious COVID-19 patients admitted in 2,436 intensive care units. Of the 804 ventilators, 128 (15.92%) have been put to use.
