Oxygen generation plant set up at Delhi's Batra Hosp which faced crisis during Covid second wave
NEW DELHI: An on-site oxygen generation plant has been set up at the premises of Batra Hospital in Tughlakabad Institutional Area. The hospital had faced a severe shortage of the life-saving gas during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, with eight patients losing their lives on May 1.
The company which installed the plant that will generate 500 litres of oxygen per minute said that it is expected to serve around 150 hospital beds. “This is the first on-site plant at the nearly 500-bed capacity hospital, a prominent destination for both national and international patients,” it said in a statement.
“We have all been through some challenging times in recent months. Although the hospital has sufficient liquid oxygen tanks and back up cylinders, the installation of an in-house generation plant makes our patient care and service delivery systems even more reliable,” said Dr Pavan Guha, Chairman of Procurement Committee and Head of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Batra Hospital.
“Also, partnering with MVS Engineering, a company with longstanding experience and a stellar record in on-site gas technology space, has been a well-considered decision. We are certain that their excellent post-installation maintenance and service support would go a long way in delivering timely and sufficient oxygen to vast number of patients,” Dr Guha added. “With speculations of third wave with potentially more severity, having an in-house oxygen plant has been the need of the hour.”
Delhi govt launches covid helpline number
The Aam Aadmi Party government on Wednesday launched a new Covid-19 ‘WhatsApp Helpdesk Number’ which will help people in Delhi access credible information about the viral disease, locate nearest vaccination centres and book slots for receiving the jabs. Tele-consultation and information about oxygen cylinder refilling stations will also be available through the WhatsApp chatbot, according to a statement. It will be a single-window source of accurate, authentic and up-to-date information about Covid-related resources.
To avail it, all that a user has to do is send ‘Hi’ to +911122307145 on WhatsApp, the statement said. “We have added some new features to this chatbot to aid the citizens conveniently so they could access credible information and resources besides helping them locate their nearest vaccine centers,” said Satyendar Jain, health minister. The chatbot is integrated with the Cowin Portal and the Delhi government’s ‘Covid War Room’. People can find their nearest vaccination centre, available vaccine slots, hospital beds and oxygen refining centers .