Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by The Health Master
Nagpur: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Nagpur, has urged medical officers and oxygen in-charges of government and private healthcare sectors across Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli in eastern Vidarbha to keep their liquid medical oxygen storage tanks and cylinders ready to meet any requirement that may arise due to the third wave.
As per FDA authorities, the cumulative storage capacity of various oxygen facilities in the six districts is around 729 kilo-litres, with 151 metric tons (MT) of production and 101.9 MT of re-filling capacities.
In Nagpur district, the total storage capacities of different facilities are 515 kilo-litres, with 136 MT production and 71.2 MT re-filling capacities.
The FDA and district health officials feel that, looking at the trend observed with Omicron and the views of experts, oxygen requirements during the current surge may not overwhelm the available capacities like it did during the Delta-driven second wave.
FDA joint commissioner Viraj Paunikar, asked officials concerned of government healthcare facilities and private C-19 hospitals to start preparing to meet the requirement of medical oxygen in the event of increased hospitalizations.
Paunikar has also asked the oxygen in-charges of both government and private hospitals to share their oxygen availability and storage in a WhatsApp group that would be monitored by officials from the FDA, health department, and district administration.
The FDA official said the oxygen availability and net balance storage at different places, including at the facilities created at government-owned hospitals and private manufacturers, are being monitored on a daily basis to ensure the supply and distribution capacity remains updated with officials and decision-making authorities.
“We have told the oxygen in-charges and medical officers to keep FDA updated about their oxygen status routinely,” said Paunikar.
Last week, FDA also undertook a three-day drive, as a part of a statewide exercise, to visit private liquid medical oxygen manufacturing plants, re-fillers, and air-separation units to ensure their production infrastructure, manufacturing processes, and supply capacities are functional and properly maintained.
A final report of the visits will be sent to FDA headquarters in Mumbai.
FDA Asstt commissioner PM Ballal said that the study was undertaken to fine-tune coordination between different agencies and keep an update of oxygen production units and their functional capacities.
“We have closely monitored the productions plants, held joint meetings and tried to sort out issues. Similarly, we have alerted FDA senior authorities about our observations,” he said.
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