Bhubaneswar: While Odisha has started supplying medical oxygen to the neighbouring states for the urgent need of the patients, doubts have been raised in certain quarters whether the state has the adequate stock of oxygen to meet the requirement as the daily COVID caseload in the state has gone beyond 6000.
Let’s take a look at the demand and supply balance of medical oxygen in the state.
As against the daily requirement of 23.78 tonne of medical oxygen for these patients, the daily production of cylinder oxygen in the state is 129.68 tonne. Besides, the daily production of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) is 60 tonne.
While an LMO plant will be operationalised in the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur by May 10, plans are afoot to set up LMO plants in 15 COVID hospitals including the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla.
According to the Health and Family Welfare Department, out of a total of 1675 patients admitted to different COVID hospitals in Odisha at present, 489 patients are admitted to the ICU.
“Each state has to make it’s own arrangements. Since the demand for Oxygen now is high as COVID attacks lungs and the respiratory system there is phenomenal increase in demand in many states and Odisha having surplus is supplying to needy states. But when we would need more, we will first keep it for our use and then give surplus, if any, to other states, ” Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Pradipta Mohapatra told Odisha Bytes.
