To ensure smooth supply of oxygen to all the Health Care Institutions in Chandigarh, the UT Administration has decided to deploy police escort to Oxygen Tankers from INOX Plant, Himachal Pradesh. The move is also expected to reduce the travel time and avoid any untoward incident, officials said.
In a statement, a UT official said that following the increase in number of beds in the Covid wards and ICU and influx of more patients, the consumption of oxygen has suddenly increased. To ensure smooth supply of oxygen to all the Health Care Institutions in Chandigarh, the Administration has stationed officers at the INOX Plant at Barotiwala, Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. Police Escort has been provided to the Oxygen Tankers from INOX Plant to Chandigarh to reduce the travel time and avoid any untoward incident.
Three Private Refilling Vendors have been authorised for re-filling medical oxygen from the quota of UT Chandigarh. The rate for refilling of Oxygen Cylinders has been fixed at par with the approved rate of GMCH-32.
The officers have been stationed at the premises of the Private Refilling Vendors to ensure that oxygen cylinders are being issued in regulated manner and there is no diversion from the UT Quota. Round the clock police security has been provided at one of the Oxygen generation plant in the Industrial Area, Chandigarh. A senior PCS officer has been deputed to see supply of oxygen to private hospitals and daily Quota has been fixed for each of the Private Hospitals in Chandigarh, statement stated.
It also stated that the efforts are being made to have some back-up arrangements from Punjab/Haryana to get oxygen on loan basis, in case of any crisis. The voluntary organizations who have come forward to set-up Mini-Covid Centers have been requested to have their own arrangements of oxygen through concentrators.
Adviser Manoj Parida said that after taking several measures, now there is sufficient availability of medical oxygen for both Government and Private Hospitals. However, the Central Government has been requested to increase the quota of Oxygen from 20 MT to 35 MT to take care of the increasing bed capacity, newly set-up Mini COVID Care Centers and to take care of unforeseen eventualities. Parida said that strict action will be taken in case of any wastage, diversion or hoarding of the oxygen by any person in UT Chandigarh.
870 NEW CASES, 9 DEATHS IN CHANDIGARH
Chandigarh’s Covid tally shot up to 49,312 on Saturday as it recorded 870 new cases on the day.
The city now has 8505 active cases. Nine more deaths took the toll to 558. While 503 men tested positive, the number of women infected is 367. The total number of samples tested in the last 24 hours was 3803 while the overall number of tests conducted was 433,928. Four women and five men died due to Covid-19 over the last 24 hours in the city. While cases were reported from all sectors, Manimajra reported 69 new cases, Sector 22 and Sector 27 had 30 cases. As many as 861 people were discharged from various facilities of the city.
