Mumbai, April 23: The Maharashtra government on Friday directed the district administrations to conduct oxygen and fire audits at all hospitals in the state. These directives from Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte come in the backdrop of the oxygen leak incident at a state- run hospital in Nashik, in which 22 COVID-19 patients lost their lives and the fire at a hospital in Virar, where 13 patients were killed.

Speaking at a virtual meet, the chief secretary said oxygen tankers have been given the status of ambulances and transportation of the life-saving gas has to be under police security. The virtual meeting was attended by district collectors, divisional commissioners, police commissioners, superintendents of police and senior bureaucrats. Maharashtra Hospital Fire: 13 COVID-19 Patients Dead After Fire Breaks Out at Vijay Vallabh COVID-19 Care Hospital in Virar, CM Uddhav Thackeray Orders Probe.

Kunte said all hospitals should undertake preventive measures to ensure that incidents of fire do not reoccur. Apart from fire audits, oxygen audits should also be conducted, he said.

"Under the oxygen audit, they should examine if patients are given oxygen in a scientific manner and if the task force's recommendations to prevent wastage are being followed," the official said, adding that measures should be taken to check leakage of oxygen.

Each district should have an oxygen concentrator to reduce dependence on cylinders and liquid oxygen, the chief secretary said. Oxygen plants on PSA technology should be set up, he said. Of the oxygen tankers arriving from Vishakhapatnam, four tankers will be sent to Nagpur and Nashik, Kunte added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)