Covid hospitals told to ensure interrupted O2 supply

Vadodara: Cyclone Tauktae has kept authorities on their toes even as the city and the district started witnessing a change of weather due to its impact.
In view of the cyclone alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department and directives issued by chief minister Vijay Rupani, the district administration issued instructions to ensure interrupted oxygen supply to Covid-19 designated hospitals.
The state government had asked each district to form urgent rapid response teams while asking them to take action with zero casualty approach.
Directives were also issued to the department of roads and buildings and forest department to ensure that the communication network, roads and power supply are maintained properly, and power supply is quickly restored if it is affected by falling of trees or otherwise affected by the cyclone.
Authorities have been asked to maintain electricity supply in all Covid hospitals with additional support of diesel generator sets while ambulance and ICU ambulances with advanced life support systems will be kept standby.
Vadodara collector Shalini Agrawal held a video conference with suppliers, traders and others engaged in supply of medical oxygen at Covid-19 hospitals across the district.
Huge banners, hoardings were removed by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and by the district administration from rural areas of the district. Directives have been issued to keep de-watering machines, JCB machines and other equipments ready in case of heavy downpour while separate alternate arrangements of Covid and non-Covid persons will be made in case people need to be shifted to safer locations in the next couple of days.
Dr Vinod Rao, officer on special duty for COVID-19 discussed about uninterrupted oxygen supply from Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Bharuch for next two-three days. “This will be very crucial for Vadodara since we are dependent on oxygen supply from high-cyclone- risk districts,” he said.
At GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Gotri, all 30 patients from quick response treatment dome were shifted to main building as precautionary measure while relatives of patients at Samras hostel were shifted to Polytechnic College's hostel mess.