The Rajasthan health department directed all divisional commissioners and collectors on Saturday to ensure adequate supply of oxygen cylinders to government hospitals, as Covid cases surge in the state.
According to the health department data, 7,359 people were found Covid positive on Friday, the highest daily cases recorded so far. As the hospitals are overwhelmed with patients in the state, the requirement of oxygen has increased.
In such a situation, the government has ordered all collectors to keep a buffer stock of more than 300 D-type (46.7 litre) medical oxygen-filled cylinders. Power companies have been asked to provide three-phase supply to the oxygen-generating plants 24 hours for uninterrupted production.
Health secretary Siddharth Mahajan on Saturday held a meeting with all the seven divisional of commissioners via videoconference.
“As of now there is no overall shortage of oxygen cylinders in the state. We have asked all divisional commissioners to ensure that all the patients admitted across hospitals do not face shortage of oxygen and they get it as per requirement,” said Mahajan.
“We have also asked the divisional commissioners to adjust the oxygen cylinders as per the requirement and patient load in the hospitals across the districts falling under their jurisdiction. For example, patient load in Udaipur and Bhilwara is more, so oxygen cylinders were supplied there from Chittorgarh. Similarly, oxygen cylinders were supplied from Pali and Rajsamand to Jaipur.”
Another health department official said, “The current demand for oxygen cylinders for Covid patients is over 5,000 per day, which was 3,026 on March 31.”
According to different studies, giving oxygen, after making severe Covid patients lie flat on their stomach, helps in improving the oxygen saturation in the blood and boost recovery without ventilation.
On Friday, the Union home ministry directed all the states and Union territories to ensure uninterrupted movement of medical oxygen-carrying vehicles along their borders, saying they must not impose any curbs on production and supply of oxygen.
Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla said availability of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen is an important prerequisite for managing moderate and severe cases of Covid-19.
As the number of Covid cases is increasing, the health department has also directed the district administrations to strengthen health infrastructure, so that there is no shortage of bed and other health facilities.
According to the health department data, the oxygen bed capacity in the state is 10,686 and 2072 people have been admitted in such beds till April 15. Similarly, the ICU bed capacity is 2,268 and 504 are occupied. The total number of ventilators in the state is 1646, of which 256 are occupied. Till Friday, active Covid cases in the state were 53,813.
Meanwhile, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Rajsamand, Sirohi, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Dungarpur and Baran have come under the Red Zone category.
In April, the infection rate in these districts has been more than 10%.
The worst situation is in Udaipur. In the first 13 days of April, the rate of infection has been recorded above 18%.
