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Critical Covid-19 patients may no longer have to be referred to other states for the life-saving Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) treatment as two such machines will soon be installed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar.
The city AIIMS has already placed purchase order to procure two ECMO machines for treatment of critical COVID patients and others in the ICU. It will also take steps for installation of the machines soon.
“It is expected that the first ECMO machine will be delivered and installed at the end of this month, as confirmed by the supplier. These ECMO machines are to treat Critical Covid patients and for other critical cases of different ICUs,” said a press release undersigned by Dr Sachidananda Mohanty, Medical Superintendent of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.
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At present, the institute has some faculty members trained in handling the ECMO machines.
“The institute is hiring more technicians to operate the same, which will help patients, especially those referred outside for treatment,” the statement added.
It can be mentioned here that many critically-ill Covid-19 patients requiring ECMO treatment are now being airlifted to other States for availing the same. State Vigilance Director Debasis Panigrahi, who was infected with Covid-19, was recently airlifted to Kolkata for ECMO treatment. Similarly, a critically-ill youth, Abhisek Mohapatra was flown to Kolkata in an air ambulance for advanceed ECMO treatment from the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) on Wednesday.
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.
