Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S. Suresh Kumar has sought a higher allocation of oxygen and additional cylinders for stocking oxygen to meet the requirements of Chamarajanagar district.
Mr .Suresh Kumar said he had already requested Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to increase the district’s daily allocation of oxygen from4.5 kilolitres to 7.15 kilolitres. The COVID-19 patients in the district were dependent on the Chamarajanagar district hospital for their treatment and the absence of oxygen supplying centres in the district had increased the medical challenges.
The complexity of oxygen shortage was compounded by the non-availability of oxygen from Mysuru, according to a statement issued by the Minister’s office.
The statement also claimed that a tragedy was averted on Sunday night after Mr. Suresh Kumar personally visited the oxygen refilling centre in Mysuru and ensured that the oxygen cylinders reached Chamarajanagar in time.
The stock of oxygen in Chamarajanagar district hospital was due to be exhausted around 5 a.m. on Monday morning. Mr. Kumar rushed to Mysuru from Bengaluru on Sunday night and ensured that a tanker carrying 6 KL of oxygen from Dobbespet reached the refilling centre in Mysuru in time so that 100 cylinders were filled with oxygen and transported to Chamarajanagar, the statement added.
Mr. Suresh Kumar said the district hospital in Chamarajanagar was the principal medical treatment centre for people of the district, besides the three other taluk hospitals in the district and three small private medical facilities. Hence, the district hospital was shouldering a major portion of the district’s entire COVID-19 burden.
With the number of COVID-19 patients increasing with each passing day, Mr. Suresh Kumar said he had written to the Chief Minister to increase not only the oxygen allocation to the district, but also increase the number of oxygenated beds and ensure all other medical facilities are provided on an urgent basis.
Lockdown
Meanwhile, Mr. Suresh Kumar presided over the district-level task force meeting on Monday and resolved to go for a complete lockdown in the district for four days of the week while permission will be given to the public to buy essential supplies between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on the remaining three days of the week. He said there will be a complete shutdown in the district from Thursday to Sunday.
