An oxygen unit is expected to be operational at the government hospital in Kolar Gold Fields in a day or two. The unit has the capacity to produce 500 litres of liquified oxygen per minute. The components for this oxygen unit have been imported from Israel and are now being assembled.
With the surge in Covid second wave, the Union Health Ministry had permitted to set up oxygen units at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) - the constituency represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HD Kote in Mysuru district and Kolar Gold Fields.
Compared to Kolar district, Tumakuru had been reporting more Covid deaths and hence the state government had decided to shift the oxygen unit to Tumakuru. However, Lok Sabha member S Muniswamy prevailed upon the Union Health Minister Dr Harshavardhan and the state government in retaining the oxygen unit for KGF.
The ICU at the KGF government hospital has 30 oxygenated beds with ventilator facility and 70 beds with only oxygen supply. The Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML) hospital, which is defunct for the past two decades, is now being converted into Covid hospital. It has been planned to supply oxygen to the unit to this new hospital also. The unit can also cater to oxygen needs of other hospitals in Kolar district.
At present, the hospitals in Kolar district are getting oxygen supply from Ballari and Bengaluru. The proposed unit in KGF will reduce this dependence also.
The new unit is expected to be operationalised on Wednesday.
Published 11 May 2021, 17:45 IST