Bhubaneswar: Even as the state has been struggling to meet the demand for medical equipment to treat Covid-19 patients, at least 73 out of 567 ventilators supplied by the Centre to Odisha have remained non-functional in Odisha owing to manufacturing defects or lack of spare parts and other consumable items.
According to the state Health and Family Welfare department, the Union government has so far supplied 447 BEL ventilators (Model – CV 200) and 120 AgVa ventilators to the state government for treatment of Covid patients in critical care. Of the total BE ventilators, 18 were received with manufacturing defect, while another 47 ventilators are not functioning as consumable items are yet to be provided by the manufacturer.
Similarly, eight AgVa ventilators are not functioning as the spare parts from the manufacturer is in transit, the department sources said.
Out of the total non-functional ventilators, 17 are in SCB Medical College – Cuttack, 12 in Aswini Sambalpur, seven in Aditya Aswini – Bhubaneswar, six each in the district headquarter hospitals (DHHs) at Sambalpur and Bolangir medical college and five in JP Hospital at Rourkela.
Similarly, three ventilators are non-functional each at VIMSAR – Burla, Rourkela Government Hospital, Covid-19 Hospital – Jarsuguda, DHH – Gajapati and Covid-19 Hospital at Angul. In addition, two ventilators supplied to Covid-19 Hospital (KIMS) are also remained defunct.
Besides, one ventilator supplied each to KIMS, Bhubaneswar, KIDS, Bhubaneswar and DHH Jharsuguda is also non-functional.
Sources in the state Health department said that 472 ventilators installed in various healthcare facilities across the state are functioning, while 22 (10 BEL & 12 AgVa) ventilators have been kept as reserve for emergency purpose.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Pradip Purohit criticised the state government alleging the latter was not making use of the life-saving ventilators supplied by Centre during the pandemic.
PNN
