MAPUSA
Covid patients admitted at the North Goa District Hospital (Asilo) Mapusa can now breathe easy, as the State government has installed a 6,000-litre Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) tank that supplies oxygen directly to the wards.
The tank became operational on Friday evening. While 45 patients are being treated for Covid at the district hospital, 15 of them are on oxygen support.
Besides, a PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) oxygen plant with a capacity to draw 1,000 litres of oxygen per minute has also been commissioned at the district hospital.
While work to install the LMO tank was carried out by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) at a cost of Rs 50 lakh, the PSA oxygen plant has been installed through the Central government funds under the PM Cares.
“We have installed the LMO tank at the district hospital in record time, within 10 days. The hospital is now receiving oxygen supply from this new facility,” said Jude Carvalho, General Manager of GSIDC.
He said while the PSA oxygen plant has also been commissioned, the supply of gas from this plant has still not started as it has to be tested for purity of oxygen for two to three days.
Vice-Chairperson of GSIDC and Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza inaugurated the two new sources of oxygen at the district hospital in presence of the health secretary, Dr Guruprasad Naik, Head of Cardiology Department, GMC, GM of GSIDC Jude Carvalho and Medical Superintendent of Asilo Dr Mohandas Pednekar.
“The installation and commissioning of the oxygen tank will come as a huge relief to the Covid patients admitted to the district hospital,” D’Souza said.
The North Goa District Hospital was converted into a notified Covid facility last month in the wake of a spike in cases in the State.
The government had planned to convert the district hospital as a notified Covid hospital in phases with an additional number of beds and oxygen supply.
