Srinagar, Dec 7: In a major concern, the Oxygen plant installed at the lone maternity specialty, Lal Ded hospital here, ceased to function on Friday due to a ‘technical snag,’ putting patients in a life-threatening situation.
Sources told Greater Kashmir that the Oxygen supplied to the Emergency Theater, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Post Operative Ward of the hospital was snapped this morning as the plant developed some “technical snag.”
They said the plant is ‘poorly maintained’ as its Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) has not been renewed by the concerned company. “There are huge liabilities of the company pending with the Health and Medical Education Department. The Finance and the Planning departments have also delayed the AMC process and the company has therefore not renewed the AMC afresh,” they said.
The plant has been installed in 2000. “It needs replacement or installation of some fresh parts to make it run smoothly. But the Department has failed to release the funds for the purpose,” they said.
With Oxygen plant out of order and the hospital without any back-up cylinders, the nurses and doctors have been forced to shift some of the critical patients to other hospitals, the sources said. They said three infants admitted to the NICU ward were shifted to the Children Specialty, GB Pant Hospital, here.
Sources said the authorities have also ‘borrowed’ almost 20 Oxygen cylinders from the GB Pant Hospital.
Abdul Ahad, whose son was admitted to the NICU in a critical condition, said:
“He was suffering from infection for the last few days. When doctors put her on ventilator, she started recovering. But the interruption in the Oxygen supply troubled us.”
When contacted, the Medical Superintendent of the LD Hospital Dr Mushtaq Ahmad confirmed shutdown of the Oxygen plant. He however said: “The Oxygen supply is running smoothly through bulk cylinders.”
Asked about the AMC issue, he said: “I am not aware of it. Talk to the Mechanical Division.”
Despite repeated attempts, Executive Engineer, Mechanical Division, Shafaat Ahmad, could not be contacted.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 7 Dec 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 7 Dec 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 8 Dec 2012 00:00:00 IST