An oxygen storage tank will become fully functional at the Government Headquarters Hospital in Udhagamandalam over the next few days. The six kilolitre storage tank will store liquid oxygen, which can be vaporized and used to treat patients requiring oxygen support.
Dr. Manohari Ramachandran, Dean cum Special Officer, Government Medical College and Hospital in Udhagamandalam told The Hindu that the installation of the oxygen storage tank had been commissioned last year, and will allow for more effective treatment of patients coming to the hospital for treatment, especially those undergoing hypoxia.
“Currently, there are around 100 beds available at the government hospital in Udhagamandalam with oxygen-support, as well as 20 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds,” added Dr. Manohari.
The Nilgiris district administration again appealed to residents to stay indoors and only venture out of their homes if absolutely necessary. On Tuesday, a further 170 people tested positive for COVID-19, while 912 people are undergoing treatment. The number of beds available in the district to treat patients is quickly filling up due to the increase in the number of cases, with patients also being referred to the ESI hospital in Coimbatore, which has kept a few beds in reserve for patients from the Nilgiris.
After a period of a few weeks with no deaths reported in the district due to COVID-19, the number of deaths increased from 51 to 56 in the Nilgiris during the last week.