Oxygen production adequate but district hosps face challenges

The average medical oxygen demand per day is about 250 tonnes, which is lesser than the availability of close to 400 tonnes a day, said State Health Department officials. According to sources in Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), most district headquarter hospitals have their own oxygen production plants. Its distribution through TNMSC is planned by monitoring the demand under the supervision of district deputy directors.

But the absence of a dedicated transportation arrangement to supply the cylinders is forcing the districts to be dependent on local oxygen production plants.

The oxygen plants in government hospitals in the districts reporting high cases of COVID-19, including Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Tirupur, Madurai, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli, are being monitored to ensure effective functioning for adequate oxygen production and supply, officials said.

However, only a few private hospitals have their own plants. Even leading hospitals like Apollo Hospitals and Fortis are dependent on authorised oxygen cylinder/tanker dealers. With the spike in cases and demand for oxygen beds, hospitals are stocking up. Now, even the hospitals that treat only non-COVID patients are procuring oxygen cylinders at a much higher rates. “The price has increased from previous year, as the demand for oxygen cylinders has increased,” said an official from GEM Hospital.

As the number of active cases are including close to the one lakh-mark, Health Department officials said the demand is likely to rise to more than 450 tonnes a day. “The government hospitals have liquid oxygen tanks and cylinders with a storage capacity of 800 tonnes, which are filled periodically. Private hospitals do the same on their own. So we are prepared to handle the increase in demand,” said Dr P Umanath, managing director, TNMSC.

“Hospitals are keeping at least 100-150 oxygen cylinders on reserve, mostly as per the need of patients on ventilator,” said Dr TS Selvavinayagam, director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

States with high burden of cases are being allocated oxygen from the Centre, under which Tamil Nadu has been allotted 200 tonnes. Officials said 5,619 tonnes is expected to arrive from other states on April 25 and 6,593 tonnes on April 30. It would be distributed to districts based on demand, officials said.

“The immediate licensing of medical oxygen producing plants is being done, while the availability in government and private hospitals is being monitored through Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation,” said Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan.