Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 10: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Kota Srinivas Poojary, on Sunday May 9, visited Malabar, Laxmi and Karnad oxygen refilling units located at Baikampady in the city and scrutinized the process of oxygen generation and refilling of cylinders.

Poojary posed questions and collected information about the quantum of oxygen received by the units, and also about the local generation of oxygen and its refilling and supply to different hospitals. He instructed the units to supply oxygen refilled and produced in these three units to hospitals as per their demand for treating the patients. He advised the units to take precautionary steps to ensure that there is no defect in the transportation of cylinders and shortage of oxygen stock in any of the hospitals.

Poojary asked the units to cut down the quantum of oxygen provided to industries and provide oxygen to medical field on priority. He also favoured to increase local generation of oxygen.

The minister said that oxygen is provided to only those patients whose health condition has deteriorated. "The district administration decides about who is in need of oxygen and whom it should be supplied. Patients in dire straits will be provided with oxygen and ventilator beds on priority," he explained.

Poojary opined that duro cylinders can be given for the use of ventilators in taluk hospitals as more oxygen can be stored in them. He said they last for two days and a plan to import them from abroad has been envisaged. Deputy commissioner of the district, Dr Rajendra K V, said that officials have been appointed to monitor functioning of the oxygen units all the 24 hours of the day.

MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty, zilla panchayat chief executive officer, Dr Kumar, and assistant drug controller Ramakant Kunte, Shankar Naik, and the officials were present.