Small city hospitals scramble for oxygen
New Delhi, April 22: Several small hospitals in the city struggled to replenish oxygen supply for coronavirus patients on Thursday morning, even as some big healthcare facilities received fresh stock overnight.
The administration at Shanti Mukund Hospital, a 200-bed facility in East Delhi, put up a notice at the entry gate, reading: “We regret we are stopping admission in hospital because oxygen supply isn’t coming.”
The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday night ordered the Centre to “forthwith” provide oxygen by whatever means to hospitals here facing shortage of the gas in treating serious Covid patients, observing it “seems human life is not important for the state”.
The Central government, represented by solicitor General Tushar Mehta, assured the court that it will facilitate supply of the increased allocation of 480 metric tonnes of oxygen to Delhi and the same will reach the national capital without any obstructions.
However, several private hospitals complained their supplier has not been responding to calls, forcing them to use their backups.
Officials at Hospital in Rohini they have run out of supply.
“The backup, too, won't last long. Of the 120 patients in the hospital at present, 70 are in a critical condition,” an official said, adding that many lives will be lost if oxygen supply did not reach the
Saroj said oxygen hospital in time.
An official from Shanti Mukund Hospital told PTI they have not been able to get in touch with their oxygen supplier.
“There are 110 coronavirus patients in the hospital right now. We have no option but to send patients to other hospitals,” he said.
Dr Sanjeev Sharma, chief operating officer at Delhi Heart and Lung Institute, said their oxygen stock will last till 4 pm.
“Supplier provided the last refill in the morning; we are on our own. A total of 71 patients are on O2 support,” he said.
THE ADMINISTRATION at Shanti Mukund Hospital, a 200-bed facility in East Delhi, put up a notice at the entry gate, reading: ‘We regret we are stopping admission in hospital because oxygen supply isn’t coming.’