AIIMS Bhubaneswar to install 2 ECMO machines

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar will procure two ECMO machines to treat critical coronavirus patients, an official said on Thursday.

The announcement came amid a huge requirement for ECMO treatment, especially for critical Covid patients suffering from lung ailment, for which many patients are being airlifted out of Odisha to other places.

A purchase order has already been placed to procure the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines, Medical Superintendent, Sachidananda Mohanty said in a statement.

''It is expected that the first ECMO machine will be delivered and installed at the end of this month as confirmed by the supplier,'' Mohanty said.

The ECMO machines are to treat critical Covid patients and others admitted in the ICU, the official said.

There are some faculty members who are trained in handling the ECMO machines and the institute is hiring more technicians to operate it, according to Mohanty.

Earlier, the Odisha government had decided to install at least six such machines at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack and one in Capital Hospital here to meet the immediate requirement of the state.

At least two critical patients including senior IPS officer and DG, Vigilance, Debashish Panigrahi have been airlifted to Kolkata for ECMO treatment.

The ECMO will help people, especially those referred to outside treatment, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)