COVID: Faulty pipeline drops oxygen supply at Jammu hospital, men on job

In a bizzare incident the oxygen supply dropped to COVID patients due to some technical snag broke out in the pipeline at Government Medical College and Hospital here.

Reliable sources on Thursday told UNI that panic gripped Critical Care Unit (CCU) and an isolation ward of the Hospital on Wednesday evening when oxygen supply to the infected covid-19 patients suddenly “dropped”.

However, death of a Covid patient also tensed the situation in the CCU and triggered resentment among patients as body remained lying inside the ward.

“The oxygen supply dropped due to some technical fault in the pipeline,” an official here said.
He said that the hospital has adequate oxygen supply, adding, “on an average 400 cylinders are being used but for the past two days, 550 to 600 cylinders are in use.”

“When investigated, we found some leakage in the pipeline due to technical fault, which is being repaired,” he added.

Principal GMC, Dr Nasib Chand Digra while confirming about the incident told UNI, “some leakage problem is there but mechanical wing of hospital and technical staff of JMC are on job to repair and fix the problem”
He however, said that sufficient stock of oxygen supply is available in the hospital.

Meanwhile sources said that 700 filled cylinders (D-Type) are available in the store and there is no shortage of oxygen. It was only mismanagement which led to low-flow of oxygen.

At least 200 oxygen concentrators have already been taken by the GMC Jammu.

“We have sufficient number of 5500 oxygen beds and a total of 400 people remain on oxygen (high-flow oxygen) in J&K,” said an official.