Lending a helping hand with oxygen

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 21

Om Prakash Soni, Minister for Medical Education and Research on Friday reiterated that there is no shortage of medical supplies and oxygen in three medical colleges in state. He was speaking at an event at the Circuit House where two organisations, FICCI FLO and Virdi Foundation donated oxygen concentrators that will be handed over to the District Red Cross.

It has been providing oxygen concentrators to the Covid-19 patients at a fixed rate of Rs 200 per day, as fixed by the state government. FICCI FLO, that gave eight oxygen concentrators, also provided ration kits as well as medicines to the needy during the pandemic.

Virdi Foundation, from the UK, donated 10 oxygen concentrators, 12 oximeters and a large number of oxygen masks. Soni said till date, 66,17,457 tests have been conducted in seven government hospitals of Punjab, out of which 2,92,498 people have been tested positive. The death toll in the state is 4,317, while there has been a 25% increase in bed capacity of three medical colleges to deal with the third wave. He said at present, about 920 patients are undergoing treatment in three medical colleges, in Faridkot, Amritsar and Patiala, including 40 patients from Delhi being treated at Patiala medical college. On cases of black fungus being reported in state, he said eight cases of black fungus have been found in Medical College Patiala, 10 in Faridkot and one each in Amritsar and Mohali.