Oxygen plants, colleges with concentrators, DU prepares for third wave

DU has also prepared a “data bank” of medical professionals who are part of the families of the university community “to extend medical support either through phone or by visiting Health Centres of the University”.

To be better prepared for dealing with the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Delhi University (DU) has said it will set up oxygen plants in the North and South campuses, as well as provide oxygen concentrators and oximeters to colleges, hostels and departments.

Sharing the plans, Dean of Colleges Balaram Pani said, “Janki Devi Memorial College and Hansraj College have offered infrastructure for setting up Covid care facilities (100 beds each). We will also offer one of the campus hostels for another 200 beds. These facilities will need beds, medical equipment, oxygen supplies through in-situ small scale oxygen plants with direct pipelines to beds, generators for uninterrupted power supply, medicines, facility for food, and above all salaries for doctors and nurses, who are in great demand but in short supply.”

“We will set up an oxygen plant that can fill in medical cylinders (about 50-80 per day) using the PSA technology that will cost less, is safe in a campus setting and needs minimal clearances and approvals from the government. We have had dialogues with vendors and obtained quotes. We will provide these cylinders, when in need, to every DU member and also to those in the neighbourhood. This step will help support other universities and educational institutes in Delhi as well,” he said.

A DU official said the plants will initially be set up in the North and South campus, but will later also be started in the East campus. He said all units – including colleges, department, hostels – will be provided with oxygen concentrators, etc.

“While oxygen cylinders are needed for serious cases of infection, for moderate cases, especially in homes and hostels, supply of oxygen concentrators is a sure way of preventing further infection and hospitalisation. We have 120 establishments in the university including colleges, hostels and two campuses (residential and departments). With an average of two concentrators for each unit, we have a need of about 240 concentrators providing oxygen at a flow of 10 litres per minute. In addition, for the large number of students in hostels and residences, it will be worthwhile to have about 500 pulse oximeters and about 100 thermal scanners,” said Pani.

Currently, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College and Lakshmibai College are running isolation centres and Covid care facilities with 100 beds in each college. Similarly, RT-PCR sample collection centres are available at Lakshmibai College, Hansraj College and PGDAV College.

DU has also prepared a “data bank” of medical professionals who are part of the families of the university community “to extend medical support either through phone or by visiting Health Centres of the University”. The information is available on the ‘DU Covid Care’ portal of the University.

Source: Read Full Article