Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Oxygen runs low, 20 die at Delhi hospital
NEW DELHI: Twenty Covid patients, mostly admitted to the critical care unit of Jaipur Golden hospital in Rohini, died on Friday allegedly due to low oxygen pressure as the hospital struggled with depleting oxygen stock, officials said. Despite this, officials said the hospital received the requisite supply of oxygen only on Saturday, after it raised the alarm twice.
“We lost 20 patients almost all of whom were in the critical care unit and on a high flow of oxygen. Our liquid medical oxygen stock was over by about 10pm (on Friday) and then we switched over to the oxygen cylinders attached to the main gas pipeline. There was a drop in pressure and the patients could not survive,” said Dr Deep Baluja, medical director of the hospital.
For over one-and-a-half hours, officials said patients were completely dependent on the backup oxygen cylinders.
According to officials, Jaipur Golden hospital was supposed to receive its quota of oxygen at 5.30pm on Friday but got an emergency supply at around midnight after raising alarm. While it received an additional 1,500 cubic metres of oxygen -40% of its quota allocated by the government -- later, officials said it was facing a crisis again by morning.
“We are again in a crisis situation, 200 lives are on the line. Last night, we were at least able to save most patients. We will not be able to do that today. We have exhausted our backup,” said Dr Baluja.