GMC Anantnag gets another high-flow oxygen plant

With patients complaining of shortage of oxygen in Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, the authorities Sunday made another high-flow oxygen plant functional.

This is the second 1000 Lpm capacity plant to be started in the hospital in a month’s time.

The twin plants would now cater to at least 40 patients needing high-flow oxygen at a time in the 70-bedded COVID isolation ward.

“The shortage of oxygen we faced yesterday has been sorted out. We have now enough oxygen available for the patients,” in-charge Medical Superintendent (MS), Dr Murtaza Fazal Ali told Greater Kashmir.

He said that every day they were also getting 60 to 70 refilled bulk oxygen cylinders.

“We have 20 patients on high-flow oxygen right now and others on medium,” the MS said.

The attendants of the COVID-19 infected patients in isolation ward have been complaining that the hospital authorities were unable to provide them uninterrupted high-flow oxygen.

They had also alleged that the plant was unable to maintain a constant flow of oxygen and that there were no bulk cylinders in the backup.

A video of a woman gasping for air in the isolation ward had gone viral causing outrage among the netizens who rued the callous approach of the authorities.

Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Dr Piyush Singhla directed the Mechanical Engineering department to make the plant functional immediately.

“The plant was made functional on a war footing within few hours,” an official said.

The Mechanical Engineering department would be installing one more 1000 Lpm oxygen generation plant in a month’s time.

The entire plant has been procured at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

Earlier, the hospital was functioning on a low-capacity 350 Lpm plant.

Greater Kashmir had carried a series of stories on dearth of high-flow oxygen in the hospital.

However, medics are suggesting that the oxygen outpoints in the isolation ward be increased.

“There should be oxygen outpoints to every bed so that the supply is regulated as per the need of the patient,” they said.