Around the same time last year, Tamil Nadu’s healthcare sector was overwhelmed as a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases led to an upswing in the number of patients requiring oxygen support. During April-May 2021, the day-to-day demand kept soaring with patients lining up in ambulances outside hospitals and struggling to get liquid medical oxygen (LMO). That was also the time, the State government was in transition, following the Assembly election.
Almost a year later, Tamil Nadu is comfortably placed, with the storage capacity of government hospitals being augmented.
Prior to COVID-19, the State’s average oxygen consumption was approximately 65 metric tonnes to 70 metric tonnes a day. The peak consumption during the second wave of infections was at least eight times more — 560.77 metric tonnes on May 17, 2021, according to officials.
Some early measures from the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) helped the State build its oxygen capacity. The result: Tamil Nadu’s LMO storage capacity has more than tripled now from about 410 metric tonnes prior to the pandemic. The TNMSC, which started augmenting the LMO storage capacity from the first wave, has increased the overall storage capacity to 1,310 tonnes.
Before COVID-19 struck, the total LMO tank capacity of institutions under the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) was 403.18 tonnes, while that of hospitals under the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) was 10.59 metric tonnes.
Currently, DME institutions have a total storage capacity of 1,001.71 metric tonnes (855.76 metric tonnes is the present functional capacity and 145.95 metric tonnes is being added). Similarly, the storage capacity of DMS institutions has increased to 166.20 metric tonnes (60.75 metric tonnes is the present capacity and 105.45 metric tonnes being added), according to data available with the TNMSC.
TNMSC officials said the work to augment LMO tank capacity took off during the first wave in anticipation of demand in the later stages, based on the opinion of experts and the nature of infection caused by COVID-19.
“TNMSC procured tanks from various sources by which the present LMO storage tank capacity is augmented to 1,310.41 metric tonnes as against the pre-COVID capacity of 413 metric tonnes,” Deepak Jacob, Managing Director of TNMSC, said. The State spent around ₹55 crore for procurement of LMO tanks.
To have a strategic storage location, the TNMSC went on to install a LMO storage tank of 142.50-metric tonne capacity, the highest one, on the SIPCOT premises at Manapparai, Tiruchi.
“The State’s present average oxygen consumption has reached the pre-COVID level. There was a slight increase of five metric tonnes to 10 metric tonnes during the third wave when the average consumption was 80 metric tonnes to 85 metric tonnes,” he said.
As part of Emergency COVID-19 Response Plan-II, the TNMSC did a gap analysis and took up augmentation work at 41 sites.
By and far, the State has almost reached the saturation level in f storage of oxygen, he said, adding: “There are a few gaps here and there. We have new medical colleges, and such gaps are being addressed. There is a scope for improvement. After government medical college hospitals and district headquarters hospitals, the other government hospitals will be the priority. Another two or three per cent might be added.”
The augmentation will be helpful for routine consumption, and “the State is ready to tackle any other similar pandemic.”
E. Theranirajan, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said the hospital’s storage capacity was increased from 20 KL to 40 KL, with another 20-KL tank in reserve. “The augmentation has reduced our dependence on outside sources. We no longer need to worry about meeting any rise in oxygen needs.”
