Tamil Nadu is unlikely to face oxygen shortage even if active Covid cases rise above last year’s peak, TNMSC MD P Umanath tells TOI’s Pushpa Narayan.
Epidemiologists say cases are likely to go up further. If they do, will TN hospitals have adequate oxygen?Yes. Government hospitals can hold 325KL of oxygen, whichis supplied in liquid form for easier transportation.
Now, the state has increased the capacity at GHs to 780KL. Private hospitals can hold another 350KL. In addition, several secondary and primary care hospitals store oxygen in cylinders. Adding all this, we now have a capacity of storing 1,167 KL.
How many companies supply oxygen in the state?There are seven major manufacturers. Of them, three manufacturers supply oxygen to the tertiary government institutions, which account for 90% of demand in the government sector, through installed liquid oxygen tanks. Smaller government hospitals are supplied by dealers through refilled cylinders. While corporate hospitals also use oxygen tanks, smaller hospitals buy from dealers and suppliers.
How much do you think we would need when we hit the peak during the second wave?Last year, at the peak on July 31, we had 57,968 active cases. For about two to three days around that time, the oxygen requirement jumped to 280 metric tonnes. Hospitals require about 180 metric tonnes with around 46,000 active cases. Even if we assume that active cases may double in the present wave, oxygen requirement, after including problems of delay in treatment, will go up to around 500 tonnes. If we assume that the 27,299 non-ICU beds and 7,771 ICU beds are occupied, we may still not need more than 900 metric tonnes. If we need more, we can cut down on industrial supply.
Has the price of oxygen bought by hospitals gone up?No. The government pays between around ₹15.5 to ₹20 per cubic metre volume, inclusive of increased transport costs because of higher fuel bills. The private hospitals may pay a little higher.