Coronavirus | Oxygen for COVID-19 patients will last only for 7-12 hours: Delhi hospitals

CM says 'serious oxygen crisis', seeks help from Centre

April 20, 2021 07:19 pm | Updated 11:00 pm IST - New Delhi

Multiple government hospitals in the the national capital have said their oxygen stock will last only for seven to twelve hours and “people will die” if they do not get oxygen.

A list shared by the government showed that in some hospitals, oxygen will last only for four to five hours.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also reiterated there was a serious oxygen crisis and again sought help from the central government. “Serious oxygen crisis persists in Delhi. I again urge Centre to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi. Some hospitals are left with just a few hours of oxygen,” he said in a tweet.

“We need oxygen very badly. Have enough to last only seven to eight hours,” Dr. D.S. Rana, chairman of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a private hospital, told The Hindu .

“If we don't get oxygen on time then many will die. 120 patients in ICU are heavily dependent on oxygen. 80% of the other patients are also dependent on oxygen. We have informed about it to both central and state governments,” Dr. Rana said.

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is one of the largest private hospitals in the city and has 485 COVID-19 beds and 475 of them are currently occupied, as per government data.

Dr. Jyoti Mishra, Medical Superintendent of Aakash Healthcare, a private hospital, said that the situation was similar in almost all hospitals.

Oxygen stock status in Delhi Hospitals. Source: Delhi government

Oxygen stock status in Delhi Hospitals. Source: Delhi government

“We do not have oxygen to last more than 12 hours. Forty-five people in ICU are heavily dependent on oxygen. We convey the oxygen stock on a daily basis to the state government. Right now, the supply is also less,” Dr. Mishra said.

Both doctors said that they chiefly use liquid medical oxygen. Multiple other hospitals did not comment on the situation. The Chief Minister had said on Sunday also that Delhi is facing an “acute shortage” of oxygen for COVID-19 patients and alleged that the quota of the city has been diverted to other States.

“In most hospitals in Delhi, oxygen is available only for the next 8 to 12 hours. For one week, we have been asking to increase oxygen supply quota for Delhi, which the central government has to do. If oxygen does not reach the hospitals in sufficient quantity by tomorrow morning, there will be commotion,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.

Delhi government said they procure oxygen cylinders from Noida and Rajasthan, and the supply is stopped in various States before it reaches Delhi. “The Delhi government is in talks with the Central government and has requested the Centre to ensure a smooth and timely supply and procurement of oxygen to Delhi,” an official statement said.

“People supplying oxygen from other States are being stopped on the way. There should be no jungle raj between the States on the supply of oxygen. For this, the central government will have to be very sensitive and alert,” Mr. Sisodia said.

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