At least 25 coronavirus patients died due to lack of oxygen supply in a Delhi hospital. The country faces one of the worst medical emergencies as many hospitals have raised alarm about scarcity of oxygen supply which is affecting not just covid 19 patients but people with other diseases as well.
An Indian Express report quoted Jaipur Golden Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr D K Baluja as saying, “These patients were critically ill and it all happened in the critical care area. Yes, the oxygen pressure was down for some time. They didn’t die during that period exactly, it takes 10 minutes here and there, but the pressure was definitely low. They are generally on a very high load of oxygen so that is the reason. A normal patient would have coped; those with high requirements couldn’t cope with the deficiency. This happened after midnight as before that our manifolds were working.”
Hours after issuing alarm about decrease in the supply of oxygen, Batra Hospital had confirmed that 500 litres of oxygen reached but would only last for 90 minutes, till around 11am. The statement said that Batra Hospital’s daily requirement is 7000 litres – 7 tonnes of liquid oxygen.
On Friday, Delhi’s Gangaram Hospital faced acute shortage of medical oxygen. At least 25 people died on Friday due to the lack of oxygen supply. “[Twenty-five] 25 sickest patients have died in last 24 hours at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Oxygen will last another two hours. Ventilators and BiPAP not working effectively. Resorting to manual ventilation in ICUs and ED. Major crisis likely. Lives of another 60 sickest patients in peril. Need oxygen to be airlifted urgently. Governments please help,” the hospital had said in a statement.