Existing plant unable to cater to increased rush of patients
*Only 44 ventilators functional, 76 not operational
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 12: The acute shortage of oxygen has created panic in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu as many patients have been affected due to low pressure of oxygen in the premiere hospital of Jammu region.
Official sources told Excelsior that due to increased rush of patients in GMCH Jammu during these COVID-19 times, the consumption of oxygen has increased several times and the existing Oxygen Plant of the Hospital is unable to bear the increased patient load.
They said in last three-four days, several patients have been affected due to non-availability of oxygen in Isolation Ward, Emergency Unit, ICU and CCU of the Hospital. They said around 400-500 oxygen cylinders are being purchased by the Hospital administration on daily basis but that too are unable to fulfill the oxygen demand in the Hospital.
Sources also attributed death of some COVID-19 patients admitted in Isolation Ward to low pressure of oxygen. They said that if experts are to be believed, the Jammu province is yet to witness the worst COVID situation and obviously, in the coming days, the patient load and the demand of the oxygen will further shoot up in GMCH Jammu.
In the latest incident, a man died today due to sudden drop in oxygen pressure in Emergency Unit of the Hospital, leading to strong protest by his wife who accused the hospital authorities for the death of his husband. She was seen crying ‘call the CMO, why oxygen is not there’ but nobody was there in CMO office and the doctors were seen hiding to protect themselves from any aggression of the woman.
Meanwhile, a delegation of junior doctors yesterday made a representation to Principal GMCH and appealed him to ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen to all the units including Isolation Ward so that they don’t have to face aggression of the attendants of the patients died due to unavailability of oxygen.
Sources regretted that the capacity of existing oxygen plant of GMC Jammu is only 1200 LPM and presently the consumption is even more than 6000 LPM and that is why even after procuring 400-500 cylinders daily from the market, the administration is unable to ensure smooth supply of oxygen in Isolation Ward, Emergency Unit, ICUs and CCUs.
“Further, CD Hospital (designated Level 2) and Psychiatric Hospital (designated Level 3) have no existing oxygen plant support system while SMGS Hospital Jammu (designated Level 1) is also reeling under shortage of oxygen with having only 500 LPM capacity oxygen plant presently.
They said that for want of uninterrupted oxygen supply from the existing oxygen plant, 33 high-end ventilator supported beds in High Dependency Ward could not be made functional. Elaborating more, they said that 156 ventilators were provided by Government of India (48 in the month of March and 109 in April) for effective management of critically sick COVID-19 patients and out of them 33 were installed in High Independency Ward while rest 76 high end ventilators are still non-operational in the GMC Jammu.
When contacted, Principal, GMC&AH Jammu, Dr Nasib Chand Digra said due to COVID-19, patient load and oxygen demand has increased several times in the Hospital. He said they are purchasing 400-500 cylinders on daily basis only for GMC Jammu and trying to procure more and more as the demand is much more. He said they have taken up the issue with Administrative Department which has given nod to upgrade the existing oxygen plants and install new plants in CD Hospital as well as Psychiatric Hospital, which lacks this facility.
Replying to the question regarding 176 high-end ventilators received from Government of India, Dr Digra said that 33 ventilators have been installed in High Dependency Ward of GMCH but being high-end ventilators, they could not be made functional as they require more than 97-99 pc oxygen saturation to function while as the existing oxygen plant provides 85 to 90 pc saturation or concentration.
XEn, Mechanical Depart-ment of the Hospital, T S Soodan said that as being alleged by some people that there is some fault in oxygen supply pipe, it is false. He said there is no fault in supply system and the problems is occurring due to shortage of oxygen. He said around 500 oxygen cylinders are being purchased from market but some times, the vehicles carrying oxygen cylinders failed to reach on time and in the meanwhile, “we have no cylinders to attach the Oxygen Manifold, leading to drop of pressure”.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma in a meeting held yesterday with IGP Jammu Mukesh Singh, DC Jammu Sushma Chauhan, Principal GMCH Jammu and others directed Director Industries Department Jammu to nominate Joint Director of her department to supervise and ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen gas to GMC&AH Jammu in liaison with various oxygen supply units. He also requested IGP Jammu to issue necessary instructions for uninterrupted movement of the vehicles carrying oxygen gas cylinders upto their destination.
Keeping in view the gravity of the situation, the Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo also called an urgent virtual meeting of the Principal, Medical Superintendents and HoDs of GMC&AH, during which he directed Principal GMC and MS GMC to ensure earliest installation of liquid oxygen tank in the Hospital to provide uninterrupted supply of oxygen to needy patients.
When contacted, Dulloo said that the Principal GMCH has assured him that the two liquid oxygen tanks will be in place in next 2-3 weeks and with their installation, the issue will be solved to a great extent. He said in the meanwhile, a new oxygen plant with capacity of around 4500 LPM will be installed in the Hospital.
Senior doctors remain unavailable in Emergency, COVID wards
Taking undue benefit of COVID situation, senior doctors remained unavailable to patients in wards, emergency unit, ICUs and CCUs of the Government Medical College and Associated Hospital, Jammu including COVID hospitals.
Sources told Excelsior that senior doctors and specialists remained unavailable in Emergency Unit and COVID wards of the Hospital viz Isolation Ward, Ward Number 3 and Ward Number 7, leaving the entire responsibility on resident doctors or interns.
Most of the senior faculty and specialists, they alleged, are passing on instructions from outside to resident doctors. “Any time you visit Emergency Unit of the Hospital, you will see only interns and a few resident doctors who are not as expert as are their seniors,” they said adding, no body is there to question the senior doctors.
They said interns are trainee doctors and their job is to only assist their seniors in all procedures but here in Emergency Unit, all procedures are done by these interns or resident doctors and hence, the probability of error always remains high.
In past many days, many videos of the COVID patients have also gone viral on social media, wherein they were alleging that no senior doctor comes to their ward and no medicines are being given to them. They were seen crying for help in the videos
Sources said every doctor wants to escape from going into COVID Wards but being junior, resident doctors have to go while there is no such pressure on senior doctors and hence, they avoid going there.
However, taking cognizance of several complaints that specialists and other senior faculty are not attending to COVID-19 patients in wards, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo today directed that HoDs of Medicine, Chest Disease and Anaesthesia Department will make roster of the faculty members to make rounds in each COVID Ward on regular basis.
He also directed the Principal of the Institution to keep a record of the rounds made by the Consultants. “The directions have been issued to pass a circular in this connection. If they (senior doctors) do not follow it, we will initiate action against them,” the FC asserted.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
