Guwahati: Amid the fight against the novel coronavirus, the authorities of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Assam have installed two installed two cryogenic oxygen tanks with a total capacity of 40,000 litres.
At a time when the demand for oxygen is rising, these high-capacity tanks would go a long way in addressing the rising oxygen needs of the hospital. With the increase in COVID cases, hospitals are making every possible arrangement to ensure that they do not run out of oxygen supply. The need for oxygen has risen manifold amid the pandemic as the needs of the non-COVID patients also have to be catered to.
"The two cryogenic oxygen tanks would help GMCH maintain assured and uninterrupted oxygen supply for at least 10 days and then it would have to be refilled," Dr Abhijit Sharma, Superintendent, GMCH told Sentinel Assam. "10 more ICU beds have been added for COVID patients."
These new tanks shall consist of liquid oxygen which will supply oxygen directly to the cabins with a substation regulating the pressure. The installation of these new tanks is likely to be completed within a week.
As per reports, the oxygen tank will last for 10 days after one refill. This initiative will save a lot of time amid the rise in demand as the state-run hospital orders cylinders at least 4 to 5 times per day.
Recently, the state's health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, expressing worry over the rising demand for oxygen, said that the government might have to consider another lockdown if things continue in the same vein.
The Minister said the increasing consumption of oxygen by patients should serve as a warning to people who continued to avoid wearing masks in public.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the gap between the demand for and production of oxygen in Assam -- a development that has the state government worried.