25 Covid+ die in Ganga Ram hrs after hospital sends oxygen SOS
■ MP: 5 die in ICU due to lack of oxygen ■ 3.32L cases, 2,263 deaths in 24 hrs
In a black day for India, 25 Covid-19 patients died in Delhi’s prominent hospital – Sir Ganga Ram — hours after the hospital authorities publicly pleaded for medical oxygen. In Madhya Pradesh, 5 Covid19 patients, who were undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Jabalpur, died reportedly due to lack of oxygen, triggering a public outcry. India also broke the global record of single-day cases for the second consecutive day on Friday with 3.32 lakh fresh cases and 2,263 deaths in 24 hours.
Ganga Ram sources said low pressure oxygen could be the likely cause of the deaths of 25 Covid patients as healthcare staff was reduced to manually ventilating patients in its ICU and emergency department. On Thursday evening, the hospital had put out what it called “an urgent SOS”. “At 8 pm, oxygen in store is for 5 hrs for peripheral use till 1 am and lesser for high flow use. Need urgent oxygen supplies at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. At present 510 Covid patients admitted with 142 patients on high flow oxygen support. Hospital is in touch with agencies. Need urgent supplies.”
On Friday morning, an oxygen tanker did reach Ganga Ram, but it was enough only for about five hours depending on consumption, an official at Ganga Ram said. Till evening, there was no further replenishment and a hospital spokesperson said they were awaiting supplies.
Hospital chairman Dr D.S. Rana said it is wrong to say the deaths occurred due to oxygen shortage as they provided oxygen to patients manually when the pressure dipped in the ICU. Other prominent hospitals of Delhi, like Holy Family and Akash Healthcare, also sent out SOS messages for oxygen while requests for oxygen cylinders and hospital beds from family members, friends and well wishers kept flooding
social media. Some managed to get what was required, mostly at exorbitant prices, as many hospitals across the country continued to beg for oxygen from the Centre. In Delhi, the cylinders arranged by Delhi chief secretary Vijay Dev helped save a few lives and aided in shifting some critical patients to other hospitals where oxygen supply was still there.
All this happened despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Central government officials holding meetings “oxygen”.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal pleaded with the PM for oxygen and urged the government to airlift oxygen from West Bengal and Odisha plants and also increase Delhi’s quota of oxygen given the high caseload.
“We fear a big tragedy may happen due to oxygen shortage and we will never be able to forgive ourselves. Despite being a CM, I am not able to help the people of Delhi. I request you with folded hands to direct all CMs to ensure smooth movement of oxygen tankers coming to Delhi,” Mr Kejriwal told the PM.
Amid the rising cases of infections and death there was a ray of hope as the number of recoveries are much higher than those critical. Compared to the 2,263 deaths, over 1.93 lakh recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours. India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1.37 crore , taking the national recovery rate to 83.92 per cent. The National Mortality Rate has been falling and currently stands at 1.15 per cent.
Delhi and several other cities are also struggling for space to cremate or bury their near and dear ones who succumbed to the deadly virus. With all crematoriums running out of space, people were forced to cremate their family members in parking lots, and in some places several dead bodies in one big pyre.
On Wednesday, Karnataka, also grappling with rising cases, had “allowed” people to bury or cremate their dead in their private lands or farm houses.
Union home secretary
Ajay Bhalla once again wrote to states and UTs to provide adequate security to Oxygen-transporting vehicles, and to make provisions for exclusive corridors for such transportation, treating these vehicles like ambulances.
The first “Oxygen Express” train that left Visakhapatnam on Thursday arrived in Nagpur on Friday with seven tankers. Three of the seven tankers have been unloaded at Nagpur Junction railway station. Each tanker is carrying 15 tonnes of medical oxygen.