Enough Oxygen

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have done a commendable job to ensure that the Union Territory faced no oxygen shortage amid the ongoing wave of Covid-19 where several states reported harrowing cases of patients dying due to lack of oxygen. The Mechanical Engineering Department in the valley is one of the key players in ensuring that Kashmir did not face such a tragedy. The department proactively made sure that the hospitals associated with Government Medical College, Srinagar and Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir received sufficient supply of oxygen. According to official figures, during the first phase of the pandemic, the Oxygen demand in hospitals in the valley was less and the department was providing 8000 LPM to the hospitals associated with Director Health Services Kashmir, while Oxygen provided to SKIMS Soura and SKIMS Bemina was 4000 LMP during the same phase. However, the situation was completely different in the second wave. In it, the oxygen demand increased substantially due to the surge in positive cases. So much so that the mechanical deparment increased its oxygen production to 21000 LPM besides upping the oxygen capacity at SKIMS Soura and SKIMS Bemina by 3250 LPM. As of today, the capacity of oxygen production stands at 36000 LPM, which means that the department has increased oxygen supply by three times to the production in first phase. In addition, the Industries department revived another filling plant to its line of existing four plants and is now supplying near 3000 oxygen cylinders in the last few days. These efforts ensured that medical oxygen was sufficiently available in the hospitals across Kashmir Division, which in turn became pivotal in saving lives of patients which has resulted in the decrease in mortality rate. As Covid cases are showing decrease in Kashmir, one hopes that Kashmir would be able to flatten the curve and it is expected that the worst phase would be over soon. As for the projections that a third wave may hit India, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir say they are already preparing for any eventuality. In coming days more oxygen plants will be installed at different hospitals to increase the capacity of oxygen production to 45000 LPM. The total potential of oxygen plants installed at Government Medical College And its Associated hospitals stood at 6000 LPM earlier which now stands at around more than 18000 LPM besides 1000 to 2000 LPM oxygen plants have been installed in District Hospitals so that the Covid patients don’t have to suffer for want of oxygen and reduce the shifting of patients to Srinagar hospitals. Moreover, oxygen plants with capacity of 1,000 LPM each have been installed in SMHS Hospital Srinagar during the last four days. The overall oxygen capacity built by the Mechanical Engineering Department at SMHS Hospital has been raised to 5600 LPM. At Chest Disease hospital 1500 LPM plant was set up in the last two days besides 1000LPM oxygen plant at JLNM Hospital.  Kashmir is the green spot on the map of India, taking the abundance of oxygen in consideration. As the oxygen demand has reduced comparatively, the Industries department is also providing oxygen cylinders to social organizations who are supplying oxygen to Covid patients in home isolation. One hopes that no such situation arises which compels authorities to use this oxygen supply.