PUDUCHERRY: Rajya Sabha member N Gokulakrishnan has urged the Centre to hasten the supply of essential medicines and set up an oxygen plant in JIPMER.
In a statement, he said that as per the arrangement worked out with the Health Department of Puducherry, JIPMER primarily admits COVID-19 patients with oxygen demand or uncontrolled critical co-morbidities.
In addition to the existing facilities, JIPMER is working towards increasing COVID beds by about 50 and ICU beds by around 10 later this week. Further steps are also in place to try and take over some other areas for COVID-19 services. However, shortage of medicines and oxygen are two issues that confront the medical fraternity in dealing with the cases. Fortunately, JIPMER had not faced any shortage of oxygen supply or of storage capacity till date. As long as the manufacturer continues to supply oxygen to use, the COVID facility can function with the current oxygen capacity.
To further enhance oxygen storage, an additional 20,000-litre capacity oxygen tank is being constructed. The Centre has also suggested the setting up of an oxygen generation plant (with capacity of generating 3000 litre per minute of oxygen gas), but when it will materialise is not known. He urged the Prime Minister and Union Health Minister to deal with these issues expeditiously.
A nationwide shortage of Remidesivir injection has also affected Puducherry, but the timely intervention of Lt Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan helped to procure it from Hyderabad, he said. However, in the course of time, emergency procurement has to be initiated and orders pending with companies like M/S Cipla and M/S Sun Pharmaceuticals should be expedited cutting off red-tapism.
Another suggestion is to repose faith in alternative health care systems, especially Siddha which has proved its mettle in saving hundreds of lives in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai, he said. An AYUSH wing and another Siddha Research Centre of the central government have not come to prominence in Puducherry as effective saviours during the COVID-19 outbreak. He urged the LG to earmark the upcoming Lawspet Sports Centre facility exclusively for Siddha system by deploying the AYUSH staff there. Further, the new recruitment drive should also include a few more Siddha physicians to augment the alternate medical team, on an emergency basis.
Further, he urged the LG to supplement the supply of rice to the BPL card holders by sanctioning at least Rs 3000 per card per month to purchase groceries and requested the public to co-operate with the government despite the hardship encountered through lockdown restrictions as life is more important.