Distress calls every few hours: Hospital’s plight sums up mess

The hospital has 675 beds of which 519 are earmarked for Covid-19. It uses anywhere between 9,500 to 11,000 cubic metres of oxygen every day.

Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital raised alarm on Friday morning about depleting oxygen levels and its ventilators not working properly, marking the fourth consecutive day the premier institution was facing critical shortages.

The hospital received supplies in the morning, but by evening, again, medical authorities were making frantic calls to ensure they receive oxygen on time, mirroring a similar crisis in facilities. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

The hospital received supplies in the morning, but by evening, again, medical authorities were making frantic calls to ensure they receive oxygen on time, mirroring a similar crisis in facilities. At the time of going to print, the hospital had enough oxygen to last till 1am. The hospital sent out an SOS message at 8.16am that said 25 “sickest” Covid-19 patients had died and oxygen would last for another two hours only. “Major crisis likely. Lives of another 60 sickest patients in peril,” a message from the hospital’s medical director, Dr (Brig) S Katoch, said.

The hospital later clarified that the 25 deaths were not connected with the oxygen shortage and were natural deaths of patients who were in a very serious condition.

“But the oxygen situation is such that we did have to switch to manual ventilation in the ICU [intensive care unit] day before when our oxygen supply was depleting because the pressure was less. There is an acute shortage of oxygen across the city but for now, the crisis has been averted,” said DS Rana, the hospital’s board of management chairman, in a statement.

At 8.16am when the hospital sent out an SOS message, an oxygen tanker sent by the supplier was stuck in Rohini in north Delhi and the driver did not know the route to the hospital. Meanwhile, doctors were preparing to lower the pressure of the main oxygen tank to conserve oxygen.

“Fortunately, we did not have to do that today. When the oxygen pressure is reduced, the ventilators and non-invasive machines like Bipap do not work effectively. So, doctors have to manually ventilate the patients to ensure proper breathing,” said a hospital personnel.

At 9.20am, the hospital received 2,000 cubic metres of oxygen that the hospital said would last till Friday evening. The next tanker arrived at 10.30pm, when supply had run to less than 800 cubic metres.

“Tanker has brought half tonne oxygen which will last for only 1.5 hours. Hopefully by that time Inox tanker should come . Long night,” the hospital PRO said after the 10.30pm refill..

The hospital has 675 beds of which 519 are earmarked for Covid-19. It uses anywhere between 9,500 to 11,000 cubic metres of oxygen every day.