Ensure oxygen plants in private hospitals: Jharkhand ACS health

JHARKHAND ADDITIONAL Chief Secretary (Health) Arun Singh on Tuesday wrote to all Deputy Commissioners in the state, directing them to ensure setting up of medical oxygen plants in private hospitals, with at least 50 beds in their jurisdiction. He added, in case of any oxygen supply issues, the hospital administration will be held responsible.

“Many private hospitals have circular arrangements of using and refilling oxygen cylinders. But is not an idle strategy for long-term intervention. Moreover, in case of any contingency on the supply side due to any technical fault or transport related issues, this may lead to a disaster (preventable) for which the hospital administration will be liable and responsible,” Singh wrote in his letter.

He said that this was in addition to their dependence on oxygen cylinders for management of Covid patients. “Hence please direct all private hospitals to set up oxygen generation plants by completely assessing peak requirement in totality… in the next 45 days,” he wrote.

Jharkhand currently has 57,802 active covid cases with a weekly positivity rate of 12.09 per cent.