Hospitals in Uttarakhand have been asked to inform the administration about their oxygen requirements 24 hours in advance so that it could be supplied to them on time, state Health Secretary Amit Negi said on Wednesday.
Five COVID-19 patients, including a woman, died at a private hospital on Tuesday in Roorkee in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district allegedly due to disruption in oxygen supply to the facility for around 30 minutes.
Talking to reporters, Negi said apart from this, district magistrates have also been asked to conduct an audit of oxygen being used by hospitals.
He said efforts are underway to create additional oxygen-supported and ICU beds, and the state will soon have 1,400 more of them.
Three lakh vaccine doses meant for people above 45 years have been received, while Rs 100 crore have been released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for buying vaccines for people above 18 to 45 years.
A portal has been created for plasma donation, while those in home isolation are getting treatment via e-Sanjivani portal, he said.
Private hospitals have also been asked to use Remdesivir injections in the treatment of COVID-19 patients as per the standard operating procedures, Negi said.
Tocilizumab, administered in rare COVID-19 cases, should also be used judiciously, he said.
Inspector General Amit Sinha, who was also present at the press conference, said steps are being taken to stop the black-marketing of COVID-related medicines and equipment.
Over the last two days, four persons have been arrested from Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun and Haridwar districts for their involvement in the black-marketing of COVID-related medicines and equipment, Sinha said.
