The Narmada district administration has set up a central oxygen line to provide uninterrupted oxygen supply to 178 beds, including 10 ventilator beds, at the district Covid-19 facility running from the Government Ayurvedic college in Rajpipla. On Wednesday, a release from the district administration stated that the installation of four oxygen supply lines was complete and the health department had begun recruitment of 24 resident medical officers (RMOs) to assist the physician appointed at the hospital in dealing with the rising number of cases.
Rajpipla Civil surgeon and nodal Covid19 officer Dr Jyoti Gupta said in a statement that about 12 medical officers have been recruited to help the physicians, after placing advertisements in the local newspapers.
Besides, services of 12 other medical officers taken on “bonds” on deputation from the district panchayat are available. “So at present 24 medical officers are on duty to help physicians. Advertisements have also been placed to hire 44 nursing staff members,” Gupta said, adding that the administration has signed an MoU with private hospitals and diagnostic centres to provide treatment to the Covid-19 patients and make up for the shortfall of manpower faced by government facilities. The Narmada district administration, which had received 15 ventilators in April from the state government, had installed five in the Covid-19 facility at the Ayurvedic college and installed the other 10 at a private facility to ensure the availability of private doctors. A total of ten ventilators, including five older ones, are operational at the government facility. Thus, the tribal district has 20 functional ventilators in all.
Gupta said, “An MOU has been signed with Patel Laboratory, which is part of Vijay Nursing Home in Rajpipla to enhance the facility of Covid-19 testing. Similarly, an MoU has been signed with Narmada Diagnostics Center-Rajpipla for High-Resolution CT Scan of Covid19 patients and all the facilities for blood and scan reports of patients undergoing treatment at Covid-19 Hospital in Rajpipla free of cost.”
The district has also received its supply of liquid oxygen tanks to provide the uninterrupted oxygen supply. “If needed, the 22 general beds in the government Covid-19 facility will be converted to oxygen beds,” Gupta said.