Only new plants can alleviate oxygen shortage in Chandrapur

CHANDRAPUR: At least five doctors with approvals in place to start Covid hospitals have put their projects on hold due to lack of oxygen supply. This is despite district collector Ajay Gulhane imposing restriction on distribution of oxygen for anything other than treatment of Covid.
The two private oxygen generation units in Chandrapur have already been prohibited from supplying oxygen for industrial use, and their entire production roped in for Covid treatment.
Gulhane claimed that the oxygen available in district is barely meeting the demand of patients in government and private hospitals. Four or five hospital proposals have been given permission, but instructed to arrange for their own oxygen. The available oxygen supply is just meeting the demand, and hence administration cannot take responsibility of additional supply unless more oxygen generation resources are created, he said.
Doctors bidding to start Covid facilities have been asked to raise their own units of oxygen generation if they want to start immediately, or wait till the administration raises new oxygen generation facility, he told TOI.
Gulhane said the district currently has two oxygen generating units in district. While one generates 11.6MT oxygen per day, the other generates 8.6MT. Out of this, 6.5MT oxygen is supplied to Gadchiroli and Yavatmal as per pre-arranged terms. Remaining entire production of oxygen is taken by the district administration to cater to demand at government and private hospitals.
“We need around 21MT oxygen per day to cater to the needs of the district. We are taking 14MT from two private dealers, while meeting requirement of remaining oxygen from other sources. Starting of liquid oxygen unit at GMCH Women’s Hospital has brought some respite. Yet another liquid oxygen generation unit is going to start at Civil Hospital premises in two days,” he said.
The collector said that as the load of patients is increasing, district administration has kicked off plans to raise oxygen generation units. “We are going to start six plants to produce oxygen from air. One of these mega plants with capacity of filling 500 cylinders is proposed in Chandrapur city. Five other oxygen generation plants, each having capacity to service 50 oxygen beds per day, would come up in Rajura, Warora, Chimur, Brahmapuri and Mul tehsil headquarters,” he said.
Gulhane had inspected one of the oxygen generation plants with SP Arvind Salve a couple of days back. He has warned of strict action under the disaster management law against those using oxygen for anything else than treating Covid patients. He has appointed resident deputy collector Manohar Gawhal as oxygen control officer for district.