GMC’s oxygen plant shut due to power failure

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 27: The patients in Government Medical College had to face some difficult moments due to shortage of concentrated oxygen after power crisis since 1 AM today, as the oxygen concentrated plant of the Hospital could not be run in the absence of power supply while the stock of the oxygen cylinders were not adequate.
According to the sources, the power supply was snapped in Medical College Jammu at about 1 AM today and could be restored at about 5 PM, almost after 16 hours. They said due to unavailability of power, oxygen concentrated plant of the hospital could not be run as it has no support of DG set while the stock of the oxygen cylinders was not enough.
Sources said that foreseeing the impending crisis due to inadequate stock of oxygen cylinders, the administration of the hospital remain on its toes for managing oxygen cylinders from here and there, as they knew very well that if the power could not be restored, lives of patients who are dependent on oxygen might be at risk since oxygen plant of the hospital could not be run without electricity.
They alleged that the oxygen consumption limit of the hospital is about 15 to 18 cylinders per hour if one cylinder is of capacity of 71/2 litres while the stock of oxygen cylinders in the hospital remains about 150 to 200 cylinders. “It means that this stock of cylinders can last upto 10 to 11 hours. But what will happen after that if unfortunately the power cannot be restored? The administration need to think about it”, they added.
Sources further said that how can the administration of such a reputed Government health institution be so negligent that they could not arrange a separate DG set for the Hospital’s Oxygen Concentrated Plant, which has a capacity of 1200 litres per minute, which is enough but due to careless attitude of the GMC authorities, this plant remains defunct whenever the power goes.
“All roads of the City and its outskirts were choked this morning due to torrential rains but somehow GMC authorities managed to procure oxygen cylinders from two private agencies, one at Bari Brahamana and the other in Udhampur, but unfortunately if the vehicles loaded with these cylinders could not reach at proper time in Medical College several lives could be in danger”, they said and asserted that management of GMC must manage a separate DG set for the oxygen plant so that such crisis does not recur.
When contacted, XEn, Mechanical Division, GMCH Jammu, Ashok Singh said that he had already taken up the matter of purchasing a separate DG Set for the Oxygen plant with the Principal, Dr Zahid Geelani so that patients do not suffer and oxygen may be generated in the absence of power but till date he got no response from the Principal.
However, after repeated attempts the GMC Principal did not take up the call.

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