Panel to study GMC’s O2 shortage submits report

VITHALDAS HEGDE

vhegde3@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bambolim should have a Health Management Information System (HMIS) in place besides, adequate oxygen supply through PSA (pressure swing absorption) and LMO (liquid medical oxygen) and a professional agency to manage continuous uninterrupted oxygen supply to the hospital.

These are some of the recommendations made by the three-member committee constituted to inquire into the issue of interrupted oxygen supply in the GMC following reported deaths of COVID-19 infected patients due to oxygen shortage in May this year.

The committee is learnt to have made six recommendations including setting up of LMO oxygen tanks instead of LMO generating plants, which are cost-intensive.

The committee headed by IIT Director Dr B K Mishra  and former GMC Dean Dr V N Jindal as member and Secretary (Revenue) and SEC member secretary Sanjay Kumar as convenor visited and inspected the oxygen assessment in the GMC before submitting their recommendations to the government. 

The committee which was constituted in May this year was given three months to complete the given task and is learnt to have submitted its report early this month. 

The committee also ascertained efficiency of the oxygen supply chain and examined the process of administration of oxygen at GMC before giving its recommendations to bring required improvement in the complete chain of oxygen delivery at the GMC.

The committee ruled out putting up LMO generating plants and instead suggested setting up of LMO tanks. It also found that the hospital has now sufficient oxygen supply due to setting up of additional LMO tanks. 

It observed that the oxygen shortage occurred during the changeover of empty trolley when the next oxygen filled trolley arrived late. 

The committee, however, recommended the need to appoint a professional agency to manage uninterrupted oxygen supply to the hospital.

GMC has now as many as 70 metric tonne oxygen tanks including the 20 metric tonne tank installed at the newly built super-specialty block.