Haryana has buffer stock of 20 MT oxygen: Govt

CHANDIGARH: A day after it claimed to have started door-to-door supply of medical oxygen for Covid patients in home isolation, Haryana government, on Sunday, said the state has a buffer stock of 10MT oxygen for emergency use as the state stock has reached 262MT. The buffer stock has now gone up to 20MT and deputy commissioners have been directed to create 20 to 50 beds in their civil hospitals with provision of oxygen.
As of now, more than 12,000 patients among 1.16 lakh active cases are on oxygen and ventilator support in Covid hospitals across the state. Many of them are in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Rohtak and Hisar districts.
Just 10 days ago, providing oxygen had emerged as a major challenge for health authorities. This was attributed to alleged miscalculation of requirement by officials involved in procurement and supply of oxygen, who calculated a requirement of 60MT against 300MT calculated by IDSP, which is involved in Covid management.
Till Saturday, Haryana had received a stock of 252MT, which was allocated to districts across the state. Maximum of 46MT was given to Gurgaon followed by 34MT to Faridabad and 21 MT to Rohtak for medical colleges and hospitals. Besides, the state government has also increased allocation in remaining districts to 20% to 25% of the stocks supplied so far.
Supply of oxygen has been a major challenge for the state government in the wake of the Covid surge. Deaths have been reported largely due to non- availability of oxygen in private hospitals of Rewari, Faridabad and Hisar. Many SoS calls for oxygen have been received from desperate kin of critical patients.
Sources said setting up of oxygen plants in six districts, increased allocation to the state government and augmentation of oxygen supply from steel plants of Bokaro through air lifting of tankers have worked.