A coordinating officer at each ward takes nearly hourly updates from all civic and pvt hospitals, arranges for movement of oxygen if nothing is available with FDA, distributors
Family members of a person who died react during a cremation at the Sion cemetery on Monday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
As the civic body prepares for the supply of oxygen to city COVID hospitals and centres, it has been determined that while major private hospitals appear to have enough stock, smaller nursing homes and private hospitals need BMC’s help. As a buffer, the civic body has also kept 500 litres of liquid oxygen at each of the seven zones in the city.
To ensure smaller private hospitals don’t struggle, the BMC will source additional cylinders from hospitals that have them in abundance, in case the supply is hit or delayed.
A nursing home in Dharavi faced issues over the weekend, and so did a Kurla hospital. BMC made oxygen available by taking it from nearby hospitals. The city has a coordinating officer, mostly sub-engineers, at each civic ward, who are checking the supply at civic and private hospitals on an almost hourly basis.
A civic official said, “We try to source the oxygen by coordinating with the FDA and also with distributors. If that doesn’t work, we borrow it from hospitals that have additional resources. We cannot just keep shifting patients and burden the other hospitals. As of Monday, there have been no issues but cases are rising as we speak and we want to be prepared.”
‘BMC doing a good job’
Dr Gautam Bhansali of Bombay Hospital said, “We have enough supply and the BMC is doing a good job in coordinating with us and oxygen distributors to prevent crises.” Private hospitals have prepared a day-wise list of their oxygen requirement till May 1. The same would be submitted to the civic body.
Dr Taran Gianchandani, CEO, HN Reliance Hospital, said, “There is no issue of oxygen supply and same is the case even at SevenHills Hospital. It too is well-oxygenated.” A representative from KJ Somaiya Hospital, too, said that they have no shortage.
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