Nagpur: Concerned over the active case load of Covid-19 rising steadily, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) officials took stock of the situation and reviewed arrangements at its hospitals.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Ram Joshi went around the city with officials of the Health Department and inspected the facilities. The XBB .1.16 variant has triggered concerns as positive cases are sharply rising throughout the nation. Taking note of the caseload, the Central Government on Monday conducted a mock drill wherein all centres again took stock of the arrangements that are in place. The drill is part of an exercise to ensure that health machinery is well prepared to tackle the situation in case of sudden rise in active Covid-19 cases.
Although the current variant is not that strong enough, in case of people having co-morbidity the infection can spell trouble. Though no precautionary advisory as such has been issued, still hospitals and oxygen arrangements are being rechecked as a matter of precaution. NMC officials took stock of the beds, the status of oxygen tanks, checked the working of liquid oxygen tanks that were constructed at various hospitals in Nagpur during the second wave of Covid-19.
Earlier, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B had instructed the Medical Health Department to be in readiness in view of rising cases in the city of Covid-19. Addl. Commissioner visited and inspected NMC’s Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya at Gandhi Nagar, Pachpaoli Women’s Hospital and Isolation Hospital and reviewed the provision of oxygen and beds as preventive measures.
Medical Health Officer Dr Narendra Bahirwar, Superintending Engineer Manoj Talewar, Executive Engineer Sunil Uike, Additional Medical Health Officer Dr Vijay Joshi and Executive Engineer of respective Zones as well as Zonal Medical Officer were present. Joshi directed the health department to inspect the oxygen pipe line, maintain cleanliness and be prepared to admit Covid-19 patients.
Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya has 80 oxygen beds and 16 ICU beds along with a pressure swing absorption (PSA) plant. Also, the Isolation Hospital has 30 oxygen beds but does not have a PSA plant. Panchpaoli Women’s Hospital has a liquid oxygen plant and has 110 oxygen beds. To prevent a large-scale outbreak of Covid-19 and to provide health facilities to the citizens, NMC is fully ready.
GMCH conducts mock drill
The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) under the guidance of its Dean Dr Raj Gajbhiye conducted a mock drill as part of preparedness for Covid-19. The Department of Medicine, Anaesthesia and the Medical Superintendent Office jointly organised the drill.
A dummy Covid-19 patient was brought to the hospital where the staff made him wear the mask, checked him, took a swab, and the patient was admitted. The staff was taught about operating the ventilator. Presently GMCH has made an arrangement of independent ward 13 where 46 oxygen beds and 10 beds in ICU with ventilators. The stock of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), N-95 mask is kept ready. The medicines required to be administered to COVID 19 patients too are available. Hospital has 3 Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) plants and 5 liquid oxygen plants working in a proper manner. It has the capacity of 1 lakh litre oxygen.
