Bengal cuts red tape; govt hospital heads to procure oxygen without tenders

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Confronted with rising numbers of COVID 19 patients and a growing shortage of oxygen, the West Bengal government has liberated superintendents of state-run hospitals from red tape and allowed them to procure oxygen without going through the tendering process.

“All the heads of state medical colleges, district hospitals, super-specialty hospitals, and sub-divisional hospitals can procure oxygen themselves at rates approved by the central medical stores and abiding by rules set by the finance department,” said a senior health department official.

Bypass tenders

This process will fast-track oxygen procurement by bypassing tenders that consume a lot of time.

The tendering process involves a lengthy process – putting out advertisements in newspapers, posting them on the website of the department, waiting for a few days for interested parties to respond, opening the tenders, and deciding and then awarding work orders.

“After the order of the government, work orders can be issued within a few hours of a vendor approaching the authorities with the quotations,” said a health department official.

Piped supply

Most of the medical colleges in the state have their own oxygen plants from which piped gas is supplied to the beds. But in the districts, most hospitals don’t have this facility. The decision of the government to cut red tape would be of great help in these healthcare units.

According to the health department supply through pipes has been ensured in 105 hospitals in the state which is ensuring round the clock uninterrupted supply to 12,500 beds.

The administration said it would be able to install piped oxygen supply in 41 more state-run hospitals by May 15, a step that would benefit 3,000 more patients.

55 oxygen plants

The government also decided to set up 55 oxygen plants on an emergency basis in the state.

The administration also gave the hospital authorities a free hand to expand the pipeline in the unit to the extent necessary for treatment, hoping the step would reduce or eliminate the dependence of the hospital on vendors delivering cylinders.

On a volcano

Bengal is virtually sitting on a COVID volcano, many experts apprehend.

Over the past few days, the number of fresh infections recorded every day has been rising steadily to reach 15,992 on April 26. The total fatalities as on April 26 stood at 11,009 with 68 deaths being recorded on that day. The number of active cases was 94,949.

There is a shortage of beds and oxygen cylinders in the state though the shortfall has not yet reached the critical stages witnessed in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.

Experts said unrestricted mass gatherings, public meetings, and roadshows by political leaders of different parties stoked the infection. Eventually, on April 22 the Election Commission of India banned roadshows, bike rallies, and mass gatherings after adverse observations from Calcutta High Court.

The last phase of polling will take place on April 29.