Efforts to ramp up oxygen capacityat Tiruppur GH under way

Works launched to install fourth liquid oxygen tank, says hospital Dean

Two liquid oxygen tanks recently installed at the Tiruppur Government Medical College Hospital.

Amid the sharp increase in the COVID-19 cases in Tiruppur district, the Tiruppur Government Medical College Hospital will be installing another liquid oxygen tank apart from the existing three tanks to supply oxygen for its patients.

According to the Dean Valli Sathyamoorthy, the hospital currently has one liquid oxygen tank with a capacity of 3.5 kilolitres (kL) and two smaller tanks with 1 kL capacity each.

With over 20 COVID-19 patients from across the hospital being admitted every day, works are under way to install a fourth liquid oxygen tank with a capacity of 6 kL, she said.

The installation works are expected to be completed within three weeks, following which the availability of liquid oxygen in Tiruppur Government Medical College Hospital would increase from 5.5 kL to 11.5 kL, according to Dr. Valli.

Adequate manpower

Of the 190 beds earmarked in the hospital for COVID-19 patients, around 150 have already been utilised by patients and by those undergoing treatment for influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) awaiting their COVID-19 test results.

The bed capacity will be increased as per the requirement, the Dean said. “We have adequate manpower for now,” she said, adding that more healthcare staff would be deputed at the hospital, if required.

Some of the COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment are “severe cases,” she said, noting that the severity of the infection has not come down in the second wave. Only the administration of both doses of COVID-19 vaccine would help in significantly reducing the severity of the symptoms, according to Dr. Valli.