Navy audits oxygen supply to hospitals in 12 cities

VISAKHAPATNAM:  Six teams comprising specialists from Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam (NDV) have completed repairs and audit of oxygen distribution systems and generating plants following a request from the state government.Working in close coordination with the state government for the past one month, the naval teams visited government hospitals in 12 cities, including Nellore, Tirupati, Guntur, Ongole, Rajamundhry, Anantapur, Vijayawada, Kakinada and Kadappa. They also visited 15 major hospitals and four industries with oxygen generation plants.

The teams undertook a thorough inspection of the existing oxygen distribution systems.In several places, these teams worked on live systems by employing techniques used on ships and submarines. They ensured that there was no interruption in oxygen supply to patients. The teams also demonstrated and set up portable multi-feed oxygen manifold developed by the NDV, which can be easily manufactured by the local industry.

The synergy between NDV teams and local authorities was demonstrated while operationalising the cryogenic oxygen generation plant at Sri Krishna Teja Air Products in Nellore, which was not functioning since 2012. The yard team stayed on site for a week to run the plant and generate oxygen, thus giving a major boost to the state’s oxygen-producing capacity. The NDV personnel also undertook work at VSPA plant at Srikalahasti in Tirupati to make the oxygen fit for medical purposes. The Navy also set up an oxygen-on-wheels facility at Palasa in Srikakulam.