By Deepak Prasad Gautam, Birgunj, May. 17: Three oxygen companies in Parsa district have been able to meet oxygen demands in hospitals in Parsa and Bara districts by filling some 2,200 cylinders a day, and thus tackling with shortage of oxygen in the districts.

Three companies, Himal, Madhu and National, have been producing oxygen and filling 2200 cylinders daily.

According to Bhim Kant Poudel, Assistant Chief District Officer of Parsa, Himal Oxygen has been producing 600 cylinders, National Oxygen 1,000 cylinders, and Madhu Oxygen Pvt. Ltd. 600 cylinders.

Poudel added that as per the data provided by the industrialists, Himal has distributed more than 10,000 cylinders, Madhu 4,200 cylinders, and National 1,650 oxygen cylinders in the market so far.

The swelling COVID-19 cases has resulted in the rise of the demand for around 2,000 oxygen cylinders a day in Parsa and Bara alone. Oxygen is being supplied as per the demand, he said.

Both Bara and Parsa districts were starting to witness the shortage of oxygen as the industrialists were sending oxygen to hospitals of the other districts. However, the problem has now subsided with the effort of the three industries, he added.

Poudel said, “Delay in submission of the empty cylinders to the respective industries by the hospitals and the hustle to transport the cylinders on the isolation center and hospitals was the main problem for creating the shortage of oxygen.”

The regular production of oxygen and its efficient distribution system will mitigate the problem of the shortage of oxygen and patients will not have to die prematurely due to lack of oxygen.

It is said that there was no easy supply of oxygen as the hospital did not employ enough oxygen transport staff.

The industrialists claimed that hospitals did not pay attention to the health of the oxygen workers transporting the oxygen to the hospital. There was further fear of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 while transporting the cylinders from ICU units so it delayed the whole process.

The industrialists alleged that the problem has arisen due to the fear of infection as the hospital has not provided any kind of health care equipment to the employees of the oxygen industry.

Both Dr. Abulhais Ansari, operator of National Oxygen Pvt. Ltd.,  and Rambabu Rauniyar, operator of Madhu Oxygen Pvt. Ltd. said that there is a problem in the transportation of oxygen cylinders to and fro the hospitals and isolation centers as well as in home isolation.

The Green City Community Police Service Center, Adarshnagar, Birgunj, in collaboration with Marwadi Service Trust, Birgunj, has been distributing oxygen cylinders to the patients free of cost for two weeks.

The Birgunj Metropolitan City has set up an ‘Oxygen Bank’ to provide filled cylinders by taking the empty cylinders. Similarly, in case of a shortage of oxygen in any hospital, the metropolis has made arrangements to supply oxygen-filled cylinders to the hospital.