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Kohima, April 28 (EMN): Equipment for the three oxygen generation plants for Nagaland, which were sanctioned under the PM Cares Fund, is slated to arrive in the state next week (first week of May).
The principal director of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Kevichusa Medikhru, said this at a press conference in Kohima on Wednesday.
The official also informed that the government has requested to dispatch the equipment for the remaining eight oxygen plants -- six to be set up by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and two by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – to the state before May 15.
Eastern Mirror had earlier reported about the state government’s plan to set up oxygen generation plants in all the 11 district hospitals, out of which the ones in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung would be under the PM Cares Fund.
It may be mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced 551 dedicated pressure swing adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen generation plants in the country, wherein Nagaland got its share of three plants among the 13 oxygen plants earmarked for the north-eastern states.
"The sites are ready for installing the equipment and we are hopeful that we will not have much problem especially in the district hospitals (DHs)," said the principal director.
Medikhru informed that currently, the state has oxygen refilling centres in Kohima and Dimapur with a capacity for filling 500 cylinders in a day.
He also expressed apprehension over possible high demand from far-flung districts ‘as refilling the cylinders and transportation will take time'.
The official informed that in the event of shortage of oxygen beds arising out of overwhelming cases, it would be requisitioning private hospitals under the Epidemic and Disaster Management Act to be converted to ‘an oxygen-supported bed or as a Covid Hospital’.
He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) was willing to assist the state in setting up makeshift hospitals and that he had informed WHO that the state would require at least two such facilities, one each in Kohima and Dimapur as it has the highest number of positive cases.
Meanwhile, the official observed that the number of people testing positive was higher among people aged below 45 years, indicating that they were ‘more careless’ while people aged 45 years and above were also vaccinated. In this regard, he has appealed to the citizens to adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
Children get infected too
Meanwhile, the state nodal officer (SNO) of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Dr. Nyanthung Kikon, informed that from January 2021 till April 18, there were eight positive cases of children less than 10 years of age; 71 cases between 10-20 years; 248 cases between 20-30 years; 102 cases between 30-40 years; 62 cases between 40-50 years; 46 cases between 50-60 years; 24 cases between 60-70 years; nine cases between 70-80 years; and seven cases above 80 years.
He also informed that 13 deaths were registered between January 2021 and April 18. No deaths have been reported till the age of 30 years, he said, adding that there was one fatality in 30-40 years age group; two between 40-50 years; five between 50-60 years; one between 60-70 years; three between 70-80 years; and one death from above 80 years age group.
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