Maharashtra comes out with 'state-level oxygen trigger'

As Maharashtra rolls out Unlock 2.0, it would also mark a new system of reviewing the Covid-19 pandemic situation by way of a “state-level oxygen trigger” to carry forward the Lockdown/Unlock measures.

To start the Unlock process after recovery from the second wave, the Disaster Management Unit of the Maharashtra government has divided the state into 48 units – districts and municipal corporations – and marked it under Level 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 depending on the positivity rate and oxygen bed status.

Level 1 means positivity rate less than 5 per cent and oxygen beds occupancy percentage less than 25 per cent.

In Level 2, the positivity rate has to be below 5 per cent while the percentage of oxygenated beds should be between 25 per cent and 45 per cent.

In Level 3, the positivity rate has to be between 5 per cent and 10 per cent or oxygen bed capacity more than 40 per cent.

In Level 4, the positivity rate has to be between10 per cent and 20 per cent or oxygen bed capacity more than 60 per cent.

In Level 5, the positivity rate would be more than 20 per cent or oxygen bed capacity more than 75 per cent.

What is interesting is that every Thursday, there is going to be a review when the Public Health Department would declare the number of oxygen beds at the state level as well as the district wise positivity rate and oxygen beds occupation percentage in each district.

Liquid Medical Oxygen is “the most critical resource” in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the note issued by Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte.

Presently, the state’s LMO production capacity is 1,200 tonnes per day, but there are serious challenges in importing oxygen from other states as well as internally transporting it to remote areas in the state.

The note states that on an average of 1,000 patients require 20 tonnes of oxygen daily, hence the state can support 60,000 patients from its own LMO production of 1,200 tonnes daily.

This necessitated the need for the ‘state-level oxygen trigger’ whereby if the total patients on oxygen beds are over 45,000-50,000 irrespective of the trend of oxygen bed occupancy, then no other local parameters like Covid positivity rate would apply and the state shall be above Level 4.

Similarly, if the oxygen beds occupancy is between 35,000-45,000, or higher but with a reducing trend, those areas shall be above Level 3.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) will be empowered to take the necessary steps to further ease/tighten restrictions.