Oxygen to be allotted to districts based on active Covid-19 cases, demand: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar

State Nodal Officer for Oxygen Distribution said 120 metric tonnes of oxygen was brought by Praxair as additional quantity

Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said the distribution of the 120 tonne liquid medical oxygen (LMO) received on Tuesday will be based on the number of active cases in the districts and their demand.

As of May 11, apart from Bengaluru (3,62,696 active cases), other districts with the highest number of active cases in the state include Ballari (15,633), Bangalore Rural (13,374), Dakshina Kannada (12,628), Hassan (16,371), Kalaburagi (15,175), Mysuru (15,148) and Tumakuru (22,234). When asked about the State's distribution plan for oxygen received via such relief trains, newly appointed State Nodal Officer for Oxygen Distribution Munish Moudgil told DH, that 120 metric tonnes of oxygen was brought by Praxair as additional quantity, and they are being given via their supply channels.

While Ballari district health officer Dr HL Janardhan said all 30-35 kilolitres of its requirement are being met every day, Gadag DHO Dr Satish B reported a demand-supply gap of 4 kilolitres. "We need 15 kilolitres of oxygen but we are getting only 11 kilolitres," said Dr Satish.

On the other side, Yadgir Deputy Commissioner Ragapriya R said there is a gap of 6 kilolitre between their requirement of 10 kilolitre and supply of four kilolitres.

Hassan Deputy Commissioner R Girish said as against 20 kilolitres, his district was getting only 15 kilolitres. Binoy Nambiar, nodal officer for oxygen management for Dakshina Kannada district maintained that even if the demand supply boxes are ticked off in terms of numbers, it does not take away from the everyday struggle that the administration undertakes to procure that amount of oxygen.

He explained, "We need 22 kilolitres everyday out of which six kilolitres are produced within the district. We have to procure 16 kilolitres from outside the district. In six of our medical colleges, because they have liquid oxygen silos, we are able to store whatever air water company supplies every day, especially at Wenlock hospital. Apart from this, the three refillers that we have are supplied by Praxair from Ballari, and Malabar used to supply the other two. But since he used to procure it from Palakkad, and now the Kerala government has to supply it to Maharashtra, we're not getting it. So now we're reliant on Inox, Bhuruka and Praxair. Whoever has tankers to spare for the day, we raise an indent with them."

Vijayapura Deputy Commissioner P Sunil Kumar, said, "Apart from the 15 kilolitre of LMO, we get four kilolitres from electrical oxygen generator plants. In all, we have a requirement of 19 kilolitres. It is an everyday struggle. Everyday, we send our personnel to the generator plant and ensure production is on par with the demand. Any delay in the tankers from Ballari or Dharwad, or any breakdown in the plant, we will suffer a shortage as we're dependent on them 24/7. These are our day-after-day challenges. Hospitals are definitely not happy with our supply. We have asked hospitals not to ramp up beds till we get additional allotment of oxygen."