The demand for oxygen is rising in government hospitals as more and more COVID-19 patients require oxygen support. The Health Department has expedited work on providing oxygen lines to available beds and distributing high-flow nasal cannulas to hospitals in Chennai and other districts witnessing a surge in cases.

An official of the Directorate of Medical Education said the “top priority” was to set up beds with oxygen lines in all government medical college hospitals.

“All available beds in government medical college hospitals are being converted into beds with oxygen points. We have supplied high-flow nasal cannulas to city hospitals, including the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital and the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, through the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC). Next, we will be supplying it to hospitals in other districts like Madurai, where the patient load is increasing,” he said.

“The aim is to increase the number of beds with oxygen lines and keep oxygen cylinders ready,” he said.

“TNMSC has ordered 1,400 high-flow nasal cannulas from the U.S. and Germany. Of these, 100 units have been supplied, and 150 are expected to arrive this week. The remaining supplies are expected to arrive next week. The 100 supplied units were distributed to five government hospitals in Chennai,” a health official said.

Hospitals are ramping up capacity. At the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Tower-3, which, until now, comprised the COVID-19 outpatient department on the ground floor and the admission of asymptomatic patients on floors seven and eight, will soon be made into a full-fledged COVID-19 block, officials said.

“Work on readying 125 oxygen points on the first floor of Tower-3 has begun. In all, the block will have 780 oxygen points/lines on the remaining floors. This is important as we need to cater to the increasing case load of patients requiring oxygen. At least 40% of COVID-19 patients require oxygen now,” an official said.

In addition, 220 beds with oxygen points are being readied at the hepatology and neurosurgery wards. “In total, RGGGH will have 1,000 beds with oxygen points,” he said.