Army Corps provides oxygen for hospitals
LOS ANGELES » As the massive volume of COVID- 19 patients continues to strain hospitals throughout Southern California, state and federal agencies are stepping in to assist facilities that need to provide oxygen to individuals with respiratory issues.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state has convened an oxygen task force and devised a five- part strategy for addressing the higher- than- usual demand for oxygen and related equipment.
Among these strategies was the deployment of U. S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel to area
hospitals to evaluate not only their oxygen delivery systems but their ability to add more beds in the event of an increase in patient load, said Mike Petersen, chief of public affairs for the Army Corps’ South Pacific division.
“We’re looking at basically the infrastructure of the hospitals and making sure they can support the surge of patients,” said Petersen, noting that the Army Corps is expected to submit reports of their evaluations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency by midweek.
One issue that hospitals, particularly those with aging infrastructure, are facing is the ability to deliver high- pressure oxygen to patients. In some instances, piping oxygen to patients on higher floors is a challenge due to a lack of pressure.
Initially, the Army Corps of Engineers was to evaluate six local hospitals, but that list had grown to 11 by Monday afternoon, according to Petersen.
Once the reports are submitted to FEMA, it will be the hospitals’ responsibility to implement any recommendations for improving its infrastructure and delivery of services, Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of L. A. County’s Department of Health Services, said during the county’s briefing with reporters.
Although there is not a shortage of oxygen supply across the board, Ghaly said some hospitals and vendors have had difficulty refilling canisters that hold the oxygen due to disruptions to their supply chain. Some facilities have reported a shortage in portable oxygen canisters, which are used while transporting patients around a hospital, and some are having difficulty getting their hands on canisters for out- patients to take home.
By providing home oxygen support, patients can continue their recovery from home, thereby freeing up beds for other patients who need to be hospitalized.
Newsom said Monday the state had 423 oxygen concentrators available from several sources and had ordered an additional 400.
“We’re just looking at the panoply of oxygen support … and looking at how we can utilize more f lexibility and broader distribution of these oxygen units … particularly in these areas — San Joaquin Valley, Los Angeles County,” he said.