Covid-19 patients die after oxygen runsout

At least 33 coronavirus patients have died after a hospital on Indonesia’s main island of Java ran out of liquid oxygen amid a nationwide surge in Covid-19 cases, a hospital official said.

The patients with severe coronavirus infections died after the central supply of oxygen ran out late on Saturday at Dr Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta city due to delays from suppliers over the weekend, said hospital spokesman Banu Hermawan.

The oxygen shortage in the city’s largest hospital was due to an increase in patients arriving in deteriorating condition.

At least 63 virus patients died during treatment for Covid-19 in the hospital from Saturday – 33 of them during the period when the central liquid oxygen supply ran out – even though the hospital switched to using oxygen cylinders during the shortage, Mr Hermawan said.

Medical oxygen comes in liquid and compressed forms.

“Their deteriorating condition contributed the most to their deaths,” he added.

The hospital’s central oxygen supply was operational again yesterday morning after 15 tons of liquid oxygen were delivered.

The hospital had asked health authorities for help with the shortage, including requesting supplies from other hospitals as the supply declined to critical levels late on Saturday, he said.

Meanwhile, Iran announced yesterday that it is reimposing coronavirus restrictions on major cities, as the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant spurs fears of another devastating surge in the country.

The country ordered the closures of nonessential businesses in 275 cities, including the capital, Tehran.