MUMBAI: Amid the crisis of oxygen supply, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday framed standard operating procedure (SOPs) for the supply, usage and management of oxygen in all Covid-19 hospitals across Mumbai. The Mumbai civic body said that the new SOPs were issued to prevent a crisis of oxygen shortage in the city.
As per the SoP, chief engineers of the BMC’s mechanical and electric (M&E) departments will be preparing a detailed datasheet containing ward-wise details of all Covid-19 hospitals, about their oxygen suppliers and types of oxygen cylinders they have available.
The BMC officials stated that this datasheet of information will be then made available to the BMC's ward-level war rooms and the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
For the implementation of these SoPs, the BMC on Friday appointed deputy municipal (special) commissioner Sanjog Kabre, chief engineer Krishna Parekar, executive engineer Sanjay Shinde and medical officer Dr Haridas Rathod as nodal officers for oxygen supply to hospitals.
“As per the SoP, hospitals must raise demand for oxygen from their suppliers at least 24 hours in advance before their stocks are about to get over. If there is no supply even 16 hours after raising the demand, then the hospitals must inform the respective ward war rooms. Officials in the ward war room will then follow up with the supplier and ensure that the stock is supplied on time and patients do not have to face any inconveniences. If it is not possible to get oxygen supply even after that within 2 hours then the officials will inform the FDA control room,” said a BMC official.
The SOP states that if it is not possible to get the oxygen from the suppliers then the ward control room officials will coordinate with the nodal officers appointed for oxygen supply and provide oxygen to hospitals that are facing a shortage. The SoP stipulates detailed procedure about what needs to be done if the suppliers fail to deliver oxygen well within the stipulated time.
“Officials from the ward war rooms will be in touch with hospitals and keep a tab on oxygen supply and usage. All Assistant Municipal Commissioners of wards have been asked to direct their staff to get in touch with hospitals in their wards,” the SOP stated.
The administration has also asked all ward offices, the Medical officers of Health (MoH) of all wards and hospitals to strictly follow this SoP.
