The Tiruchi Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital is augmenting its infrastructure to tackle a possible third wave of COVID-19. Work on three Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generating plants and a triage facility are under way.
A 1000-litre capacity PSA plant funded through the PM CARES has arrived at the Tiruchi GH campus and will soon be installed behind the Super Speciality Ward. This is the second such plant being installed within a month. A 350-litre capacity PSA plant was inaugurated at the Tiruchi GH a few weeks ago.
A PSA plant uses a technology where a specific gas can be separated from a mixture of gases under pressure. This is an oxygen production unit, and therefore, the hospital does not need to depend on suppliers to provide oxygen to patients. This PSA plant would be able to supply oxygen to the beds in the Super Speciality Block.
Another PSA plant, the third on campus, donated by doctors around the world will be set up next to the paediatrics ward of the GH. “If we do have an increase in the number of children contracting the virus, we want to be prepared,” a senior official said.
Meanwhile, the hospital is also readying a triage centre wherein patients’ vitals can be checked and their condition stabilised. This would help in case of emergency cases wherein patients require oxygen administration immediately, Dean K. Vanitha said. “Pipelines for supply of oxygen and electricity are being laid. Around 30 beds can be set up in this facility,” she said. At the Paediatrics ward too, 200 beds have been readied.
The hospital has made arrangements for an additional 300 cots, and a total of 1,200 ventilators. Adequate staff to treat and monitor patients are also available. “A total of 75 staff nurses, 40 doctors and 15 lab technicians who were appointed during the peak of the second wave have been asked to continue,” she said.
The hospital faced some water shortage and therefore, work has also begun to repair four borewells. Two new ones are also being dug. “We will be ready in about 10 days. While we hope that the number of cases does not increase as it did in May, we are prepared to handle it,” Dr. Vanitha said.