The panel recommended that for ensuring judicious use of oxygen (File)
The Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) has proposed a formula for determining the oxygen needs for the country, which takes into account all levels of care amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, 1.5 MT of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) required for a 100-bed hospital with 25 per cent ICU beds is a formulation that may be examined, the NTF said in its report submitted to the Supreme Court.
"Such a formula will be part of a dynamic, evolving process and open to modification and consultation with states as the situation evolves," said the 12-member panel constituted by the top court on May 6.
The active caseload of states and Union Territories as also the doubling rate should be the main factors in allotting oxygen, addressing both the current situation and the future demand, it said.
"States/UTs will need to develop a mechanism which can predict oxygen inventory required for the next 24 hours and next few days based on the calculations of the formula. These requirements will need to be submitted to the Central Oxygen War Room," it said.
The panel recommended that for ensuring judicious use of oxygen, audits of hospitals should be conducted including their pipeline systems saying such audits reduce the usage by 10 to 20 per cent.
Giving a number of suggestions, the NTF on the methodology for allocation of oxygen to states and UTs said guidance protocols may be developed for home based or facility-based isolation and self-monitoring programmes and non-hospital Covid care facilities.
It said state-wise oxygen audit committees must be put in place, as per the mandate of the top court and there should be a buffer of at least six cylinders in the rural settings, to accommodate for delays and surge, or enough time to transfer to another facility.
Suggesting the way forward based on its recommendation, the panel told the top court that at the hospital level, measures like Oxygen audit, cleaning of the pipelines, triage system for patients should be taken.
It said that at the state level, measures like tracking of tankers, creating alert systems for hospitals, war room for real time tracking systems, reports by oxygen audit committees can be taken.
"At Central level, such as procurement of cylinders, enhancing production and supply of oxygen, mapping oxygen for states as per formula that includes case load, infrastructure of beds, projected requirements, etc, and the need for a supply plan which is also dynamic and flexible" like steps can be taken, it said.