BAJURA, MAY 13
If everything goes as planned, Bajura district hospital will have an oxygen plant up and running in a month's time from now. According to hospital acting Chief Dr Prakash Jaishi, a tender notice has been issued.
Dr Jaishi informed that the process of installing oxygen plant got the impetus after the province government allocated 8 million rupees for the purpose. "After allocation of fund, we today issued a seven-day tender notice. Once the process of awarding contract is completed, the plant will be installed within a month from now," the doctor said.
Bajura Provincial Constituency B provincial assembly member and Minister of Internal Affairs and Law Prakash Shah said the budget allocation for the oxygen plant in Bajura was meant to avert any possible oxygen shortage in the district and the belt.
Bajura Hospital's COVID focal person Chudamani Panta said any oxygen plant to be set up in Bajura hospital would help in the treatment of other patients as well. "It's difficult to find any company at this critical time to work in the development of such a plant. If we find any, however, it won't take long for us to have an oxygen plant here," he said.
On his part, minister Shah asked the hospital to expedite the process to ensure early completion of the oxygen plant. He further informed that the provincial government had allocated 8 million rupees each for installation of such oxygen plants in six hilly districts in the province.
Now, oxygen for the Bajura hospital has to be brought from Dhangadi and Nepalgunj.
The district hospital is expected to face oxygen shortage in a few days in view of the current rate of COVID infection.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 14, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
