Week after 'launch', no OxyBus on road yet

The OxyBus vehicles launched by the chief minister over a week ago will hit the roads only in the next two days. And it will be a long time before all the promised 20 buses are up and running.

Constraints in procuring oxygen cylinders and other materials have been cited for the delay.

B S Yediyurappa “launched” the OxyBus on May 11 and announced that 20 buses would be stationed next to hospitals and triage centres to help the patients in need.

A source said that ever since the “launch”, the BBMP and a social enterprise working on the project had been struggling to get the things ready.

“Due to the high demand, it has been tough to get oxygen cylinders and the associated materials. Some approvals also took time. At this point, 20 buses seems too ambitious,” the source told DH.

To a question, Smita Malipatil, CEO of IndiVillage, which is working with the BBMP on the OxyBus, said the first vehicle was ready to go. “The first bus is ready and we have fitted out one more.”

Malipatil said they had been working with BBMP officers and marshals on ground to get the standard operating procedure (SOP) in place and identify the locations that need them.

“As per the current plan, we expect to deploy both within the next two days,” she said.

Making the remaining 18 buses is expected to take time as IndiVillage doesn’t have a firm timeline at the moment. “The main challenge has come from trying to source the supplies and materials required to modify the buses when businesses are shut during the lockdown,” Malipatil said.

However, the commitment will remain. “We expect to have about 12-14 buses in Bengaluru Urban and the the rest in peri-urban areas as the need is reportedly increasing there as well,” she added.

Each bus will have up to eight oxygenators to accommodate as many patients.

The OxyBus has been planned as a supplemental facility to provide emergency support to an existing hospital or triage centre and never to replace the ICU.

Asked about the challenges, Malipatil said: “We need 160 concentrators in 20 buses. We have been meticulous in procuring medical grade concentrators that suit the purpose of the OxyBus. As soon as we’re able to get enough equipment in place, we will roll out the remaining buses gradually.”

Each bus will have paramedics to monitor the patients’ oxygen levels and alert the doctors in hospitals or triage centres in case of emergencies.

Meanwhile, the transport department has launched six ‘Oxygen on Wheels’ vehicles and is preparing to provide one such bus to each district.