O2 supply: Vizag on a safe mode

Visakhapatnam: With an upsurge in daily coronavirus cases in the district, the focus is now on life-saving oxygen beds.

As many states stare at acute oxygen supply crisis, Visakhapatnam, however, appears to be far safer.

Last year, in order to control the pandemic, the district administration took steps to provide oxygen beds along ventilators in various hospitals. Even when Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) served as one of the state Covid hospitals in Andhra Pradesh, the district never faced shortage of oxygen supply.

In order to plug the demand-supply gap, the health officials say measures are in place to ensure that Visakhapatnam does not run out of oxygen-supported beds for Covid-19 patients. "Currently, we are having 1,800 oxygen-supported beds in government hospitals.

Plus, private hospitals that are extending support to treat coronavirus patients also are equipped with such beds.

Of the 3,600 beds in private hospitals, about 3,000 are supported with oxygen-supply," says PS Surya Narayana, District Medical and Health Officer. Depending on the need, the district authorities say that the capacity will be increased further.

Along with a 33-KL medical oxygen tank at King George Hospital, other hospitals too are equipped with medical oxygen. "At Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases (GHCCD), all the 288 beds in the hospital are equipped with oxygen facility.

The situation is pretty much under control and GHCCD has sufficient oxygen supply to meet any emergency requirement," says KVV Vijay Kumar, Superintendent of the hospital.

Amid the second wave, the district officials mention that the tank capacities are going to be increased further in the coming days.