Few private hospitals shut down, cite oxygen shortage

Swati Rathore, director of Kriti hospital in Sector 56, said that they discharged 18 patients after they were not supplied oxygen on Saturday.

A day after eight people died in a private hospital due to shortage of oxygen, some smaller, private hospitals in the district have discharged all patients and shut their operations, claiming that the municipal corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is not paying heed to their repeated requests for help.

A Covid-19 patient on oxygen support provided by Hemkunt Foundation at sector-42 near the MCG office, in Gurugram, India, on Sunday, 02 May 2021. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Swati Rathore, director of Kriti hospital in Sector 56, said that they discharged 18 patients after they were not supplied oxygen on Saturday. “People easily blame hospital administration and doctors for their negligent approach but how can we run operations without oxygen,” she said. The MCG commissioner and his team are responsible for management of oxygen supply in the city.

Asha Devi, director of Mamta Hospital, said they have stopped fresh admissions as they have not received a singly oxygen cylinder for the last four days. In the absence of continuous oxygen supply, many doctors said they had to turn away patients and ask families of existing patients to arrange for oxygen cylinders to continue treatment.

Dr Prithvi Raj Aryan, director of Aryan Hospital on Old Railway Road, said, “Since Thursday, I’ve been requesting officials to provide me oxygen for my patients but we have not got a single cylinder yet,” he said.

Amandeep Chauhan, district drugs controller, said they have ensured all hospitals received their share of oxygen on Sunday. “We received 14 MT from Panipat and 20 MT from Bhiwadi on Sunday and more is expected by tonight...,” he said. Vinay Pratap Singh, MCG commissioner, said a counter was placed at the refilling stations in Manesar for refilling oxygen cylinders. “Covid-positive patients, carrying test reports, will be given oxygen cylinders,” Singh said. Meanwhile, some hospitals have demanded extra security for staff, doctors.

On Sunday, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said he held a meeting with the DC and the MCG commissioner on assuring smooth oxygen supply to all the hospitals. “Oxygen allocation will be made strictly for institutions that have submitted Google forms,” he said.