GANDHINAGAR/AHMEDABAD: The images of the patients gasping for that one precious breath in the queues outside the Covid hospitals across the state is still fresh in minds of the citizens.
For many hospitals, management of oxygen became as important as patient management and procurement of medicines.
So needless to say, oxygen management is top priority for the state preparing for the anticipated third wave.
Top government sources indicate at three-fold rise in demand with two-fold rise in daily cases.
“As we had seen in the second wave, a very high number of patients needed high-flow oxygen support.
Thus, if we had seen peak daily demand at 1,200 metric tonnes of oxygen, we must prepare for about 3,500-3,600MT,” said a senior official.
However, government officials are preparing for about three times that figure.
Jai Prakash Shivahare, state health commissioner, said that CM Vijay Rupani has asked all 33 districts to set up minimum 300MT capacity PSA (pressure swing adsorption) oxygen plants that can generate oxygen from ambient air.
“We are covering all medical college hospitals, district headquarters with oxygen plants,” he said.
In Ahmedabad, four oxygen generators are installed or being installed at Civil Hospital in addition to 20MT liquid oxygen plant.
Civil medical superintendent J P Modi said they have got 300 oxygen concentrators.
“We have converted all possible beds into oxygen beds.
We can also convert some of the buildings to Covid facilities at short notice,” he said.
Private hospitals are also gearing up for the oxygen demand spike.
Sources close to development said that several mid-level hospitals are in talks with the firms to install liquid oxygen tanks or PSA plants to reduce dependency on cylinder-based oxygen supply.