Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal , May 3: The construction of an Oxygen plant at District hospital Ganderbal which was started in December last year is yet to be made functional.
Locals said that with each passing day, the cases of Covid-19 are increasing and more and more people are being hospitalised who need oxygen support but authorities are yet to make oxygen plant functional.
Though officials attributed the slow pace of work on the oxygen plant to inclement weather conditions this year but official sources said that the 50-bed ward at District Hospital Ganderbal that has been kept on a standby for COVID-19 patients was not yet getting piped oxygen from the oxygen manifold but instead getting oxygen through cylinders.
Officials said that as of now there are 175 oxygen cylinders available and the supply was being received on a regular basis.
They said that work on the plant is going on and it will be functional in the next few days.
Chief Medical officer Ganderbal Dr Mehraj Ahmad Sofi said that work on the oxygen plant with a capacity of 1000 litres per minute is going on and will be functional in next two days.
He said that 12 ventilators including two high end ventilators are also available and as of now only six Covid positive patients are admitted and the plant of 1000 lpm will be enough for 100 beds.
He added that virus is spreading like wildfire and people must adhere to Covid appropriate behavior to break the chain.
