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Bhubaneswar: The devastating Covid-19 second wave has shattered the lives of people across the country. At the same time, the deadly infection has also led to the demand of high end equipment for critical care in different parts of the country and Odisha as well. A lot of critically ill Covid-19 patients in Odisha are now requiring ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) and many such patients are being airlifted to other States for availing the treatment as only a few machines are available at hospitals in Odisha.
Health Minister Naba Das on Wednesday informed that the Odisha government has already decided to install six ECMO machines at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for which the tendering process has already begun. Apart from SCB, ECMO machine will also be installed at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
The life-saving equipment will be procured using the CSR fund, Das added.
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Director Medical Education & Training (DMET) Dr CBK Mohanty said that ECMO machines are in limited numbers and it's procurement is a difficult task.
Apart from this, it also requires trained manpower to operate such units. Earlier, ECMO machines were being used for patients who required lung transplantation.
But during Covid-19 treatment, the demand of such equipment arises when the ventilator fails to work following pneumonia in patients.
The State government is trying to procure such machines from abroad. During a lull in the Covid infection, the use and demand of ECMO machines was limited. According to Mohanty, the cost of the ECMO procedure for the initial phase is around Rs 4 to 5 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh to 2 lakh a day is charged thereafter.
