2 govt hospitals given central oxygen supply
Two public hospitals in the capital, including one dedicated to dealing with Covid-19, started getting central oxygen supply yesterday, giving much relief to coronavirus patients, who usually require more oxygen.
The oxygen is being supplied to ICU patients at Kuwait-Bangladesh Maitree Government Hospital from noon, while it would take "some time" to reach the service to other patients as installation of oxygen supply line at other wards is under process, said officials.
Patients at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital would be provided with the service from Saturday after a test run for two or three days, said officials concerned.
Another Covid-19 dedicated hospital -- Kurmitola General Hospital -- is likely to get the central oxygen supply within two or three days, they said.
Besides, the health ministry on Sunday gave permissions to set up liquid oxygen tanks, the key equipment for central oxygen supply, at 23 more public hospitals across the country.
Setting up liquid oxygen tanks in those hospitals will start within a day or two and is expected to be completed within 15 days, the officials added.
A central oxygen supply means having a dedicated place at a hospital where oxygen is stored and supplied to all patient beds, using lines in the wall.
With the number of infections surging every day, providing adequate oxygen support to the critical Covid-19 patients is extremely crucial.
Experts said uninterrupted oxygen supply could save many lives and central oxygen supply could do that.
The development came weeks after a health ministry document painted a grim picture of central oxygen supply at public hospitals.
In a letter to the National Electro-Medical Equipment Maintenance Workshop and Training Centre (NEMEMW and TC) on June 2, the health ministry said most of the 39 major public hospitals, including those dedicated to treating coronavirus patients, still do not have a nonstop supply of this essential treatment for critical Covid-19 patients.
These hospitals, constructed by the Public Works Department, have medical gas pipeline systems, but most lack the central oxygen supply supported by liquid tanks.
So, they rely on inter-connected oxygen cylinders. As a result, it is not possible to ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply to the critical coronavirus patients, who suffer from severe respiratory problems, health officials said.
In the letter, the ministry asked NEMEMW and TC to ensure liquid oxygen tanks at the 39 hospitals, if they do not have it, on an urgent basis, to activate central oxygen supply system. Currently, 22 public hospitals have central oxygen supply system.
DEVELOPMENT
Following the order, NEMEMW and TC wrote to the health ministry in three phases, pressing for installation of oxygen liquid tanks at 26 public hospitals, said NEMEMW and TC's Chief Technical Manager Aminur Rahman.
But in the meantime, two contractors, following the ministry's verbal approval, began setting up of the tanks at three hospitals, considering the current situation, he said.
"We got permissions from the ministry to install the tanks at 26 hospitals on Sunday," he told The Daily Star yesterday.
"As installation of oxygen liquid tanks has already been completed at two hospitals, contractors are supplying oxygen to the hospitals from today [Monday]," he said.
Spectra Oxygen Ltd set up the tanks at Kuwait Maitree and Suhrawardy hospitals, while Linde Bangladesh Ltd is installing them at Kurmitola General Hospital and it would be done within two or three days, he added.
Aminur said, "We would start setting up the tanks at 23 other hospitals within two or three days, and the work would be done within 15 days."
The hospitals are: Faridpur Medical College Hospital, Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College Hospital in Kishoreganj, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital in Gazipur, MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet, Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital in Khulna, 250-bed general hospitals in Chattogram, Tangail, Gopalganj, Manikganj, Jamalpur, Munshiganj, Habiganj, Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, Sherpur, Bagerhat, Barguna, Chuadanga, Bhola, Magura, and Nilphamari, 100-Bed Children Hospital in Rangpur, and Government Employee Hospital in Dhaka.
MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital has currently a liquid oxygen tank with a capacity of 10 kilo litres, which will be increased to 20 kilo litres.
KM Mamun Murshed, deputy director of Suhrawardy hospital, said although the contractor supplied oxygen to tank yesterday, they would provide oxygen to patients from Saturday after a trial run.
He said they have 90 beds for Covid-19 patients at present and they were supplying oxygen to patients from cylinders, which require to refill daily.
Mamun said they would add 100 more beds from Saturday and start supplying oxygen from liquid oxygen tank that day.
"We will be able to supply uninterrupted oxygen to patients once we start providing it from the central supply system. A patient will get oxygen while he or she in washroom," he added.
Dr Sarwarul Alam, director of Kuwait Maitree hospital, said only the ICU patients would now get the central oxygen supply.
There are 141 Covid-19 patients at the hospital. Sixteen of the them are in ICU, he added.