Goa is facing a scenario where its oxygen demands are set to double but this has only increased the efforts of the state government to supplement its inventory of oxygen supplies to meet the expected need, informed the Health Minister. Goa has also roped in government and private players in Karnataka and Kerala, leaving no stone unturned to ensure it is able to provide the prescribed medical treatment to all patients under the state’s care.
Goa’s efforts to expand oxygen capacity
Goa has witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases, not any different from the rising trends observed across the country and this is an indication, that the state needs to ramp up all its treatment resource. As already noted, medicinal oxygen is a crucial aid for critical patients. It helps to aid acute symptoms of the infection that includes shortness of breath, augmenting faster recovery.
The state is working on an elaborate plan to ensure oxygen availability to all COVID patients, a tally which is estimated to double soon, the Health Minister said. “Future forecast is double. Exactly double of what we are using today. That much oxygen we would require. We need to make more arrangements,” he added. Even earlier, the Goa government had imposed a ban on the export of oxygen to deal with this internal rise.
At present, the state’s apex medical facility, the Goa Medical College, consumes 45 trolleys of oxygen cylinders per day, The other COVID facility, South Goa district hospital consumes 18 trolleys per day, read reports. Each trolley comprises of 150 oxygen cylinders. “Government is trying its best to increase its oxygen capacity,” Rane said, adding that the volume of oxygen requirement was “going up every day” the minister said, adding that the COVID situation is expected to escalate in Goa.
Goa procured 20,000 litres of liquid oxygen
The Health Ministry has already reached out to local manufacturers of oxygen in Goa and has established contact with the Kerala government and industries in Karnataka, to tap into more supply. The minister further thanked Kerala’s Health Minister who was instrumental in providing the state with 20,000 litres of liquid oxygen.
The COVID situation in Goa has marked a steep spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The state is now registering over 900 cases every day, instead of the earlier 500. On Monday, about 940 new cases were reported here, which has raised the active tally to 7,547 cases across the state. This has obviously added to the hospitalisation load, thereby piling the need of treatment resources.
