Punjab official says about 50 ventilators not put in because of logistical constraints of BEL, hopes work shall be performed in 2-3 days

Chandigarh (Punjab) Amid considerations that a few of the ventilators equipped by the Centre to Punjab for remedy of COVID-19 sufferers haven’t been put in, a state authorities official mentioned on Wednesday that round 50 ventilators had been but to put in because of logistical constraints of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and hoped that it is going to be performed in two-three days.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan had shared an image in a tweet on Tuesday and mentioned that ventilators from PM CARES Fund had been mendacity unused in GGSMC (Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital) Faridkot. He urged the Punjab authorities to make them work for the needy sufferers. BJP leaders have additionally raised questions over “unused” ventilators in Punjab.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had on April 11 written to Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan that 251 ventilators despatched by the Centre had not been put in within the state.

“Punjab has been allocated 809 ventilators, out of the same, only 558 ventilators installed while 251 are still pending to be installed,” he had mentioned.

On its half, Punjab authorities wrote to the Centre on May 1 that the duty to put in ventilators rests with BEL and TBS.

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had additionally mentioned on May 6 that in addition to scarcity of oxygen, tankers vaccines and medicines, the state was going through points even on the ventilators entrance, “since there was no BEL engineer to install 108 of the 809 ventilators received from the Government of India”.

Tanu Kashyap, Managing Director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation advised ANI that round 50 ventilators had been mendacity uninstalled because of unavailability of BEL engineer.

“Some of the ventilators have been installed, while some are still uninstalled. We have already had a meeting with BEL CEO. In fact, another meeting is scheduled for this evening. There are still around 50 of them that are not installed,” Kashyap mentioned.

“It is the company’s responsibility to install them. After that, spare parts and technical things are what only their engineers are supposed to know. Earlier they had given us one engineer but we requested how would just one engineer manage 22 districts alone and that we want more engineers,” she added.

She additionally mentioned that they (the corporate) mentioned their engineers had been in Maharashtra and bought caught there because of COVID-19 conditions and couldn’t come. So, there have been lots of logistical points.