Small private hospitals that are into COVID-19 treatment in Coimbatore have raised concern over an imminent shortage in the supply of liquid medical oxygen.
Sources in some of the small private hospitals here say they are witnessing delay in the supply and decline in the quantity of medical oxygen from manufacturers, unlike previous times of the pandemic.
They say that diversion of liquid medical oxygen produced at a plant in Palakkad district, Kerala, to other parts of the country is one of the reasons for the current situation. Several hospitals in the city are buying medical oxygen from this plant, they add.
According to them, consumption of medical oxygen in hospitals doubles when it is used for ventilators and high flow oxygen therapy for COVID-19 treatment. Though the current supply is enough to handle the cases, the continuing surge of the cases in the district is a cause of worry, they add.
However, major private hospitals continue to get adequate supply to meet their needs.
A senior doctor attached to a tertiary-level private hospital said it was getting medical oxygen supply on alternate days with which it banked for three-four days.
On Tuesday, Coimbatore MP P.R. Natarajan called on Collector S. Nagarajan and urged him to take stock of the medical oxygen availability in hospitals.
“As in many other places, it is learnt that some private hospitals are facing issues with oxygen supply. I have requested the Collector to take war footing measures to ensure adequate stock of oxygen as a precaution,” he said.
Mr. Natarajan added that the situation was also taken to the attention of Industry Secretary N. Muruganandam, monitoring officer for Coimbatore district, and Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan.
“Liquid medical oxygen is brought to our district primarily from Kanjikode in Palakkad. I have requested the Health Secretary to make arrangements to increase the supply and stock the same,” he said.
