Panaji: An interruption in the power supply due to the cyclonic wind would have affected the oxygen supply to the COVID-19 patients being treated at Goa Medical College and Hospital, if not for the new tank that was installed on Saturday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said.
Sawant told reporters that there was interruption in the power supply to the Oxygen plant at GMCH for fifteen minutes on Sunday due to the cyclonic winds that has hit the state.
“But there was no issue as the new cryogenic Oxygen tank was in place because of which the supply continued to be normal,” the chief minister said.
Goa government has set up 20,000 kilo litre capacity Oxygen Tank in GMCH premises on Saturday, which was made functional immediately after the complaints of patients in COVID-19 wards dying due to lack of Oxygen.
Sawant said that the COVID-19 wards have been shifted to the supply from the Oxygen tank.
The chief minister said that two people died due to cyclonic winds on Sunday which includes a girl who had gone to fetch water on a well. The girl died when she was crushed under a tree, he said.
Sawant said that there was major power disruption due to the cyclonic winds in the state since Saturday night.
The staff of Electricity Department is working over time to ensure that the supply is restored.
He said that the state government had made it sure that all the hospitals which has COVID-19 patients in it should have power backup as the warning of cyclone was issued three days back by the Indian Metrological Observatory.
During the day, Chief Minister said that hundred houses had a major damage. The major impactof the cyclonic wind was felt on Bardez Taluka in North Goa and Mormugao in the South.
He said that the National Highway was blocked at several places on Sunday due to falling of trees, which was cleared by the teams of Disaster Management.
Sawant said that as per Indian Metrological Department’s warning, the cyclonic wind will continue on May 16-17.
