Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 19: Notwithstanding claims of the authorities, the situation in government hospitals is going from bad to worse with every passing day as the number of Corona positive patients is increasing.
Reports said that the government has decided to involve the private sector to ensure oxygen supply in the hospitals, across the Union Territory. Instead of depending on existing plants in different hospitals, authorities will purchase oxygen from the private sector to meet any challenge in the future. The government on Saturday had constituted a high-level committee to ensure adequate and timely supply of medical oxygen to all hospitals for meeting the requirements of Covid patients.
Reports said that seven oxygen plants have been functioning in the private sector and supply of oxygen for Covid patients largely depend upon these plants.
Sources said that higher-ups in the department of industries and commerce have been directed to keep a close watch on the functioning of the oxygen units to ensure that production of these units would be used only for medical purposes. Sources said that industries and commerce department would ensure that oxygen produced in these units would directly supply to health institutes especially in the dedicated Covid hospitals across Jammu region. During the first wave of the deadly virus, the Government Medical College- Jammu’s premier health institute, had confronted with the shortage of oxygen as the only existing plant in the hospital could not face the burden of the Corona patients during the peak.
Due to the rush of patients in the month of September 2020, consumption of oxygen had increased manifolds, and the existing oxygen plant of the hospital virtually became defunct.
Following the deaths of some Covid-19 patients, allegedly due to the non-availability of oxygen, the J&K administration had suspended two officials, including a Deputy Medical Superintendent, over the shortage of oxygen supply to patients and mismanagement at Government Medical College, Jammu.
The inquiry committee report had suggested that there had been a complete lack of coordination between the hospital administration and the mechanical engineering wing of the hospital which led to the poor service delivery system to the patients, particularly those suffering from a virus. |
