The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has presented a study to the Uttar Pradesh state government on oxygen wastage in hospitals during the month of May.
According to the research, 10 out of 52 hospitals from various districts were found to waste oxygen or use more than the required quantity per patient.
The government provided the list of hospitals, with the majority being state-run institutions, according to the researchers.
The Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida, NCR Institute of Medical Sciences and LLRM in Meerut, Santosh Medical College in Ghaziabad, and Rama Medical College in Hapur were among those in the study from the NCR areas. None of them, however, were discovered to be utilising too much oxygen.
The team gathered data on the various types of oxygen delivery equipment used in hospitals, as well as the volume of oxygen utilised and the number of patients who used it.
This was compared to the standard usage to find where the consumption was excessive.
Professor Manindra Agrawal, deputy director of IIT Kanpur who was heading the study, said, “There are different kinds of equipment for oxygen supply – various kinds of masks and ventilators. All of these have standard consumption rates. We compared these standards with the average daily consumption in these hospitals and found that 10 hospitals had been using excessive amounts. We have submitted the findings to the state to take further corrective steps.”
He added that maximum wastage was found while using the High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC).
“The study did not mention reasons for the wastage and it needs to be investigated further. However, the wastage could be because of leakage if the mask is not adjusted properly and has been left unmonitored,” said Agrawal.
