Panel finds leakage in oxygen pipeline at GMC, other flaws

Jammu: While entire is country is reeling under shortage of medical oxygen and centre is making all the efforts to meet requirement amid high demand due to surge in COVID cases, the same is being leaked and wasted in premier health institution Government Medical College and Hospital , Jammu (GMC&H).
Apart from this, in absence of adequate technical staff, the COVID patients are given free hands to operate oxygen equipments in the premier health institution causing mismanagement and further wastage of oxygen. Moreover, the Legal Metrology Department has been failed to verify the quantity and capacity of the supplied cylinders in the premises of health institutions.
The lacunae on the part of authorities in Government Medical College and Associated Hospitals and Legal Metrology Department was pointed out by the eight members committee headed by Director Industries and Commerce Anoo Malhotra.
Official sources said that in the wake of the shortage of Liquid Oxygen across the country, the JK UT administration constituted a committee for the audit of the condition of oxygen pipes in Jammu-based hospitals.
The eight members committee under the chairmanship of Director Industries and Commerce Anoo Malhotra, though observed that there is a sufficient supply of liquid oxygen, but at the same time also painted a grim picture for the usage and leakage of the oxygen in the report. The committee also roped in Legal Metrology Department and Government Medical College and Associated Hospitals for the laxities on their part and also made various recommendations.
The committee report vide no DI&C/J/PS/2021/170 dated 29/4/2021 submitted to the Principal Secretary to Government Industries and Commerce Department, Civil Secretariat, Jammu which is in possession of The News Now said that the committee visited three facilitates I,e Maternity Child Health (MCH) Hospital Gandhi Nagar (Designated Covid hospital),Jammu, Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar,Jammu and Government Medical College, Jammu and found that there is no dearth of any Liquid Oxygen in the hospitals as MCH has an inventory of 1000 cylinders, GMC has an inventory of 30000 cylinders, and Gandhi Nagar Hospital has also a fully functional oxygen manifold bank.
With these observations, the committee has also pointed out the misuse and wastage of Oxygen. Going by the report, it is stated that during the visit the committee observed that few valves and knobs were faulty, resulting in the leaking of oxygen. The committee also observed that the patients using the oxygen were operating the same on their own, increasing the flow even without requirement and also keeping aside the oxygen masks with running flow without switching it off, thus resulting in wastage of the same.
Meanwhile, the committee has also made various recommendations which include engagement of more technical staff, training to the paramedical staff in handling the knobs to restrict wastage, scheduled maintenance of gas. The committee also recommended the installation of 2200LPM oxygen generation plant in Gandhi Nagar hospital.