SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said that the government will replace the existing oxygen tank with a new one at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim.
Stating that the government has installed a big oxygen tank for the newly-built super speciality block, Sawant said the oxygen supply system at the GMC is old and should have been upgraded long back.
At the same time, the Chief Minister said that in the past the GMC did not require huge quantity of oxygen as required now due to rise in COVID-19 cases. The GMC used to utilise 10 to 15 trolleys per day and now its requirement has increased to 52 to 55 trolleys per day.
Stating that the system is getting upgraded, Sawant said the oxygen tank will now be upgraded and also a new medical oxygen generation plant will be established at the GMC through the PM Cares Fund.
A base has been created at both the places -- GMC and the South Goa District Hospital, Margao to set up the two oxygen plants, he added.
Sawant said the government has now roped in four suppliers and oxygen supply in all the hospitals has been equally distributed.
After visiting the GMC casualty ward, the Chief Minister said that admissions will be streamlined to
reduce hassles of the people coming for treatment.
He said GMC Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar and his team are putting up a brave fight in saving lives in these testing times.
Dr Bandekar said he was constantly monitoring the supply of oxygen in the GMC.
He said the private oxygen plant at the Cuncolim industrial estate will supply 500 cylinders per day to the government hospitals.
“We have common empty pool of empty cylinders and these cylinders are sent to the bottling plant as per the need,” he said.
