CM launches emergency 02 supply service for hospitals in Ranchi

Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday inaugurated the Sanjivani Vahan service in Ranchi to provide oxygen cylinders to the city’s private hospitals for Covid patients in case of emergencies.
Flagging off three trucks at his Kanke Road residence, Soren said, “The trucks will be loaded with jumbo oxygen cylinders and will be ready to move at a moment’s notice. In case a hospital runs out of oxygen supplies, the trucks will replenish their stock.”
The Ranchi district administration has been mandated by the National Health Mission’s Jharkhand chapter to keep 150 modified jumbo industrial oxygen cylinders at all times for the service. As many as 100 of the total cylinders will be stocked at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) and the remaining 50 will be kept at the Risaldar Baba Urban Community Health Center in Doranda.
While the trucks will be equipped with GPS trackers, four drivers have also been deputed for round the clock duty. The administration has deputed three para teachers each at Rims and at the Doranda CHC to coordinate with the hospitals in case of exigencies.
Jharkhand has so far maintained steady supply of oxygen at the hospitals. “But we have to remain prepared so that incidents like Delhi, Gujarat and Karnataka, where patients died at hospitals due to lack of oxygen, do not happen here,” a senior health official said.
“We are working towards ensuring unhindered oxygen supplies at the hospitals. But many hospitals suddenly complain of oxygen shortages as the number of patients on oxygen support increases. Then there is panic everywhere,” Soren said. He said that the service will be opened in Jamshedpur and Dhanbad in the coming days. After Ranchi, the two industrial towns are worst hit in the second wave of the pandemic.
District transport officer Praveen Prakash, who has been appointed the nodal officer for the service, said they did not get any calls from the city’s private hospitals on the first day. However, one of the six para-teachers deputed in the service did not join duty as he is in home isolation after getting infected with on April 18. “The teacher has informed the administration in writing. His replacement is being arranged,” Prakash said.