Mumbai: BMC starts new system to ensure no one runs out of O2

Oxygen cylinders stocked at Aryan Hospital and Medical Centre in Nehru Nagar, Kurla East. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

In light of the recent oxygen shortage that occurred at two hospitals and the city not getting more than adequate supply currently, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set out a procedure to ensure the timely supply of oxygen to hospitals. Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal stated that this procedure has to be strictly followed by all hospitals and concerned civic officials.

Last week, 168 patients from six civic hospitals had to be shifted to other hospitals had to be shifted amid oxygen shortage. On Wednesday, the HJ Doshi Hindu Sabha Hospital at Ghatkopar faced a shortage and the civic body was informed when only an hour and a half worth of oxygen was left. The civic body provided the hospital with oxygen on the same day. To ensure that no hospital is handicapped amid an emergency, the civic body has formed a team of four officers, including additional municipal commissioner P Velrasu.

According to the new system, a data sheet with details of all private hospitals, COVID hospitals, their respective suppliers along with data on dura, jumbo and small oxygen cylinders available at the hospitals will be provided to the Ward Control Room and the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Control Room. Hospitals would have to request oxygen from suppliers at least 24 hours in advance or as per their agreement, whichever is earlier. If this supply is not available within 16 hours, the hospital would have to inform the ward office's control room, which will contact the supplier to ensure timely delivery. If the supplier cannot provide it within two hours, the ward control room would contact the FDA's control room.

The FDA control room would then speak to the supplier. If the oxygen still cannot be made available within two hours, the FDA would have to contact the coordinating Executive Engineer of the ward, who'd have to bring oxygen to hospitals. "All medical officers shall inform the COVID hospital in their jurisdiction to ensure smooth supply. Assistant municipal commissioners have to inform medical officers and control room officers of the ward about the procedure. The executive health officer should inform all hospitals. It is also directed that all concerned hospital take due diligence and responsibility to ensure proper supply as per number of patients," a BMC press release said.