Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian on Saturday said that the government was reiterating judicious use of medical oxygen.
Considering the present crisis, doctors must use medical oxygen prudently based on the requirement for each patient, he said, after inspecting the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore, along with Food Minister R. Sakkarapani on Saturday morning.
“ESI Hospital, with 830 beds, has been functioning efficiently in the first wave and second wave [of COVID-19]. Around 17,000 people recovered from COVID-19 from the hospital, registering a very low death ratio,” he said. According to the Minister, the hospital has a single supplier for medical oxygen which is stored in a single plant. The hospital administration has sought for the allocation of one more supplier and the establishment of another storage plant. The Coimbatore District Collector has been tasked to process the request at the earliest, he said.
The Minister also said that the hospital was following prone positioning for patients with oxygen saturation levels of 89-90 in case of emergencies. This method could improve the oxygen levels up to 94-95 and other hospitals could follow it, he said.
Mr. Subramanian said that the Food Minister, who was assigned by the Chief Minister to oversee COVID-19 containment work in Coimbatore district, has been visiting hospitals for the last four days and sending reports to the Health Department based on their requirements.
The two Ministers visited the Covid Care Centre at the Codissia Trade Fair Complex and the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) as well. They inaugurated a new oxygen concentrator at CMCH which can generate 200 litres of oxygen per minute from ambient air. The machine could cater to the oxygen requirement of about 30 beds according to the hospital administration.
Mr. Subramanian later chaired a review meeting at Coimbatore Collectorate which was attended by Mr. Sakkarapani, Forests Minister K. Ramachandran, the Coimbatore District Collector, MLAs, MPs and senior officials from various departments including Health, Revenue and Police.
