Krishna district administration gears up to tackle third wave

Proposals to establish 10 additional oxygen plants of 7,400 LPM capacity ready, private hospitals to get ten plants, too.
An oxygen storage tank in Vijayawada (File Photo I Express)
An oxygen storage tank in Vijayawada (File Photo I Express)

VIJAYAWADA: Keeping in view the previous experiences during the second wave, the Krishna district administration is gearing up to tackle the anticipated third wave by setting up oxygen plants at several hospitals on a war footing.

According to the district health officials, over 4,270 beds have been arranged in both the government and private hospitals across the district. Of the total, 3,814 are oxygen beds and 813 are ICU beds. Besides, special wards will also come up at Vijayawada (150 beds) and Machilipatnam (100 beds). The officials have instructed private paediatric hospitals to ensure the availability of beds.

So far, the district has only one 104 control room, however, to reach out to a larger number of people, a similar facility will be set up in each mandal of the district. The district has 49 mandals, of which nine are municipalities and two municipal corporations —Vijayawada and Machilipatnam, where round-the-clock control rooms were established. If any patient dials 104, the control room staff will trace the call details and direct them to get admitted to the nearby hospital. 

Each control room will be equipped with CCTV cameras and monitoring will be done through the district command control room. District medical and health officer (DMHO) M Suhasini told TNIE that health experts and ICMR have cautioned that the third wave is likely to begin in October. Keeping this in mind, the district administration has focused on enhancing the capacity of oxygen beds and establishing new oxygen plants.

Currently, there are 11 oxygen plants in operation at the government hospitals and seven at private hospitals. Of the total, four oxygen plants are operational at New GGH, Vijayawada, one each at Old GGH, Vijayawada, Machilipatnam and Gudivada. A total of 4,084 LPM (litre per minute) oxygen is being produced per day, while 860 LPM oxygen is being produced per day at the four oxygen plants in private hospitals.

Apart from this, proposals have been readied for establishing ten more oxygen plants with a capacity of 7,400 LPM at Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Gudivada, Nuzvid, Avanigadda, Jaggaiahapeta and Kaikaluru and Railway Hospital in Vijayawada. Similarly, another ten oxygen plants with 5,881 LPM will be set up at private hospitals in the district, she said.

The DMHO further said that instructions were given to the officials concerned to speed up the vaccination drive for persons above 18 years. Referring to staff recruitment, Suhasini said a mega recruitment drive is underway to recruit child specialists, pulmonologists, general medicine specialists, critical care experts and duty medical officers. Apart from these, class IV employees have been recruited and they will be deployed soon, she added.

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