Oxygen plant left gasping: ₹1 crore facility at Neyyattinkara hospital turns into rusting ruin
A multi-lakh rupee oxygen plant at Neyyattinkara General Hospital, established six years ago during the pandemic, now lies defunct due to a lack of a transformer, rusting and in disrepair despite its critical need.
A multi-lakh rupee oxygen plant at Neyyattinkara General Hospital, established six years ago during the pandemic, now lies defunct due to a lack of a transformer, rusting and in disrepair despite its critical need.
A multi-lakh rupee oxygen plant at Neyyattinkara General Hospital, established six years ago during the pandemic, now lies defunct due to a lack of a transformer, rusting and in disrepair despite its critical need.
Neyyattinkara: An oxygen plant established six years ago at the Neyyattinkara General Hospital is now a rusting ruin, completely defunct and falling into disrepair due to prolonged disuse.
Sources indicate that the multi-lakh project has been rendered useless, languishing for the want of a transformer.
The plant was set up during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with funding from the Centre. Its primary objective was to ensure a steady supply of oxygen to COVID isolation wards. Over ₹1 crore was invested in its establishment.
Plans for a dedicated transformer for the plant never materialized. Initially, in an urgent move, the plant was run with the help of a generator. However, this generator soon broke down. Despite repairs, the generator repeatedly malfunctioned, leading to a complete halt of generator-powered operations.
Consultations with experts revealed that the issue could only be resolved by installing a booster generator. Consequently, the oxygen plant's operations came to a grinding halt.
Though a transformer is currently present within the hospital premises, beyond a formal request to install a booster generator alongside it, no further action has been taken. With the oxygen plant lying dormant for an extended period, many of its components have rusted. Even the oxygen supply pipelines, laid during the plant's installation to reach critical areas like the emergency ward, have begun to deteriorate.
Six years ago, the District Panchayat had completed all necessary procedures and floated tenders for the transformer's installation. However, the contractor who awarded the tender never commenced the work. The District Panchayat reportedly became hesitant to release funds after issues were flagged concerning the same contractor's installation of a transformer at Peroorkada Hospital. This reluctance is cited as the primary reason for the failure to install a transformer at Neyyattinkara.
The public have been demanding that this vital facility, intended for the common people, be made fully operational without further delay.