Covid-19: BoG wants uninterrupted oxygen supply at Mardan hospital

MARADAN: The Board of Governors (BoG) of Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Mardan on Friday directed the hospital administration to ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply to the health facility.

The BoG said that the demand for oxygen has increased after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. It emphasized the need for arranging oxygen in ample quantity and adopting a proper monitoring mechanism to check the supply chain round the clock to avoid any human tragedy, more after the tragedy at the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar where six Covid-19 patients died due to disruption of oxygen supply.

Chairman BoG Dr Syed Fazle Hadi chaired the meeting held through a video link. The BoG members Tahir Ali Khan, Dr Shahid Khattak, Attaullah Khan Toru and Rahimullah Yusufzai participated in the meeting.

Dean/CEO Bacha Khan Medical College (BKMC) Prof Dr Muhammad Fazil, Medical Director (MD) Prof Dr Mukhtiar Ali, and Hospital Director (HD) Dr Tariq Mehmood, briefed the meeting. Deputy Hospital Director Dr Javed Iqbal and senior members of the administration attended the meeting.

Dr Tariq Mehmood informed the BoG that a 3,000 cubic meter liquid gas storing capacity oxygen plant had been installed and was being managed by a private contractor. He said that a back-up oxygen supply system was put in place to cope with any emergency.

He said two mini oxygen tanks were also installed that presently provided oxygen to medical and surgical wards and can be used as an emergency back-up.

He added that the hospital has 240 cylinders and can be used as emergency back-up as well. He said that oxygen connections to 175 beds have been linked with the central oxygen system.

The HD said that an inspection team of the provincial Directorate General Health Services carried out inspection and expressed satisfaction over the oxygen supply system. He said the hospital administration had formed a committee under the supervision of Assistant Professor Dr Sajjad Ali to check the oxygen supply and demand.

Dr Tariq Mehmood said that the staff working in the Outpatient Department (OPD), corona ICU, high dependency unit (HDU) and isolation ward were provided personal protective equipment (PPEs).

MD Prof Dr Mukhtiar Ali said that 369 suspected patients had been brought to the hospital during the ongoing second wave of Covid-19. He said that 33 patients tested positive of whom nine had died.

Prof Dr Mutasim Billah said that 5,297 PCR tests were conducted, adding, 281 were diagnosed with hepatitis. He said that a hemoglobin electrophoresis machine was also arranged to conduct the thalassemia tests. He added that the tests would help trace the ratio of the number of thalassemia cases in Mardan division.

He said the Pathology Department had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi for quality control to maintain accuracy of tests at the lab.

Project Director BKMC Dr Abdul Jamil informed the BoG about the progress made for completing work at the auditorium and college. He added that efforts were being made to acquire furniture for the new buildings.