CM Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurates new ICU complex at GMCH

GUWAHATI: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday dedicated the newly constructed 200-bed ICU complex at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital to the people of Assam.
The ICU with 200 beds, four dialysis beds, 80,000 litre liquid medical oxygen and fire detection and prevention systems have been set up at an expenditure of Rs 20 crore. The CM said that the oxygen facility will help the state in storing medical oxygen and use it in emergency cases, rendering relief to the patients.
Sarma said the day was very significant for the health infrastructure of GMCH and hoped that the premier government hospital would go a long way in helping the poor and the underprivileged. "Before the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit the state, Guwahati had only 67 ICU beds. However, within a span of little more than a year, the city has a total of 591 ICU beds, taking all the government health institutions in consideration," he said.
Sarma also asked the state health department to take steps for installation of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine (ECMO) in all the eight medical college hospitals. The ECMO machine is similar to the heart-lung by-pass machine used in open-heart surgeries. It pumps oxygen to the body, allowing the heart and lungs to rest.
Sarma asked the director of National Health Mission (NHM), Lakshmanan S to tie up with NGOs to initiate steps for setting up of Oxygen Concentrator Bank (OCB) in each district of the state, to provide assistance to post-Covid patients, in case they required oxygen. He said that initially the districts badly affected due to Covid-19 will get the OCBs.
The chief minister directed the health department to send two doctors and four nurses in all the hospitals across the state to render medical treatment to Covid patients even in far-flung areas. Sarma said that in the name of Covid, poor people living in the interiors of the state should not be deprived of medical attention and directed immediate posting of doctors and nurses.
Under the NHM scheme, the CM also presented appointment letters to 896 GNMs to enhance the strength of the nursing staff.