Officials gearing up to maintain enough oxygen stocks

With the demand for medical oxygen growing by the day following a spurt within the COVID-19 instances, the officers are gearing up to maintain enough stocks, significantly within the COVID Hospitals, within the State.

During a assessment assembly on the availability and demand place on Wednesday, the Union authorities had allotted 440 tonnes per day of medical oxygen to the State, S. Ravi Shankar Narayan, Director General of the Drug Control Administration (DCA), advised The Puucho.

The State authorities had appointed nodal officers to coordinate with the supplying corporations and maintain enough inventory of medical oxygen, he mentioned.

Mr. Ravi Shankar Narayan mentioned the nodal officers had been instructed to assessment the scenario from time to time, and take measures for uninterrupted provide of oxygen to all of the COVID Hospitals.

M.B.R. Prasad, DCA Director and State nodal officer for oxygen provide, mentioned, “We are monitoring the supply situation regularly.”

“Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) and Ellen Berries of Visakhapatnam, Liquinox of Srikakulam, JSN Steels of Bellary, and another company located at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu are supplying oxygen to the State,” Mr. Ravi Shankar Narayan mentioned.

As per the Medical and Health officers, 2,528 ventilators have been out there for the sufferers in 185 COVID Hospitals within the State.

Guntur has 49 COVID Hospitals, the best within the State, which is adopted by Chittoor (24), Krishna (20), and Kurnool (18).

“Oxygen can be supplied to hospitals through air suspension (that can be directly filled into the cylinders). Liquid oxygen too can be supplied and stored in tankers. We are sourcing liquid oxygen from Visakhapatnam, Bellary and Sriperumbudur,” mentioned DCA Assistant Director K. Raja Bhanu.

“As of now, there is no shortage of oxygen. But the demand may increase as cases are increasing by the day,” mentioned a pulmonologist at a COVID Care Centre in Krishna district.

High-level assembly at this time

Staff Reporter in Guntur writes: In the wake of stories of a spike in demand for medical oxygen and several other hospital working out of provides, the State authorities has resolved to deal with the problem shortly.

On Thursday, an inter-Ministerial assembly might be convened on the workplace of the APIIC at Mangalagiri. It might be chaired by Minister for Industries Mekapati Gowtham Reddy.

Several key selections are anticipated to be taken throughout the assembly. The Minister will even participate in a video-conference with the officers of Health, Family Welfare and Home departments.

The Centre has already given instructions to cease provide of oxygen to industries, petroleum refineries, nuclear power services, water therapy vegetation.

The State can be trying into the potential for setting up air separator items, as well as to the 9 sorts of oxygen manufacturing services prescribed by the Centre.

Ministers M. Sucharitha, B. Satyanarayana, K. Kanna Babu, and Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas are anticipated to participate within the assembly.