KOCHI: In a bid to avoid an Italy-like crisis where the country couldn’t provide life support to its senior citizens due to the shortage of oxygen amid the Covid-19 spread, the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (Peso) in Kerala has increased production of medical oxygen in the state. While the per-day consumption of medical oxygen is 150 tonnes, various oxygen filling plants in the state are producing around 500 tonnes a day. Besides, 21,000 medical oxygen cylinders are available with different filling plants in Kerala.
As part of being prepared for an emergency situation, the PESO has also directed the oxygen plants to scale up production. “We have issued the direction considering the tragedy in Italy. Italy faced a severe shortage of oxygen and the country could not ensure the treatment to senior citizens as they had to reserve oxygen to save the youngsters. To avoid such a critical situation, we have taken steps to ensure that there is no shortage of oxygen cylinders in the state.
Along with ensuring 138 medical cylinders to Lakshadweep, we are now in a position to distribute them to neighbouring states as well,” said R Venugopal, deputy chief of explosives, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (Peso). Daily consumption of oxygen tripled in Italian hospitals as the Covid-19 patients were in need of ventilators and other forms of supplemental oxygen. Many of the hospitals were forced to install additional large storage tanks for oxygen. In the end, the hospitals became exhausted and resulted in several deaths.
Considering the situation, Peso has directed medical oxygen filling plants and suppliers to ensure availability of oxygen across the state in case of an emergency. “We have insisted that supply shall not be stopped on any account. Be it production or transportation, companies should ensure sufficient supply as per requirement. They can fill cylinders even at night,” he said. “Kerala is currently equipped with enough number of oxygen cylinders. Differentiation of Covid and non-Covid patients are smoothly handled in the state. Currently, every ICU bed set up for Covid-19 has oxygen supply,” said Dr Mathews Nambelil, district programme officer, NHM.
Oxygen supply
Current daily usage: 150 tonnes
Production per day: 500 tonnes
Filling facilities: 20 centres (Ernakulam 7, Palakkad 3, Thrissur 3, T’Puram 2, Kozhikode 2, Malappuram, Kannur and Pathanamthitta —1 each)
Types: 47-litre water capacity (7m3), 10.2-litre water capacity (1.5m3)
Major suppliers: Inox India Ltd, Palakkad (200 tonnes) and Praxair India Ltd (50 tonnes)
Hospitals with bulk facility: 18 hospitals (Ernakulam 4, Kottayam, T’Puram, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode — 2 each, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Wayanad and Alappuzha — 1 each)
Decontamination
Peso officials have also asked plant owners and other stakeholders to ensure decontamination of cylinders. “Decontamination of cylinders should be ensured to avoid infection. We have issued a guideline on the lines of the European Union’s directions for the decontamination of cylinders coming out of hospitals. Manufacturers can only send them back after completing the process,” said Venugopal.