In a significant step towards pandemic preparedness, Mumbai’s government-run Cama Hospital has become self-reliant in oxygen supply with the installation of a new liquid oxygen plant. The hospital recently received approval from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) to commence operations of the facility.
The development is seen as a major boost to healthcare infrastructure, especially after the severe oxygen crisis witnessed during the second wave of COVID-19, when hospitals across the state struggled to secure sufficient oxygen supply. Until now, Cama Hospital relied entirely on oxygen cylinders, often requiring multiple refills a day.
At present, the hospital has been using a medical oxygen cylinder which has a capacity of 7000 kg and the daily requirement is 14 cylinders. “Our current requirement is around 98,000 kg of oxygen daily. The new liquid oxygen tank gives us a storage capacity of nearly one crore (10 million) litres,” said Dr. Tushar Palve, Superintendent of Cama Hospital. He added that with the plant operational, we no longer need to depend on daily cylinder supplies,” said Dr. Palve.
According to Dr Palve, once Liquid Medical Oxygen is stored, it will last more than one month as the total is 11,80,000 kg.
The new facility will also enable Cama Hospital to support nearby institutions during emergencies. “We now require refilling only once in two months, and we are capable of storing enough oxygen to supply GT Hospital and St. George Hospital if needed,” added Dr. Palve.
Liquid oxygen is considered more efficient and cost-effective for large hospitals due to its high storage and transport capacity. Meanwhile, oxygen cylinders continue to serve as a vital backup for portable and emergency needs
