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Oxygen shortage: 7 patients shifted from Thane’s Diya Hospital
Seven patients had to be shifted from Diya Hospital in Waghbil to Universal Hospital in Gokul Nagar due to a shortage of oxygen
Seven patients had to be shifted from Diya Hospital in Waghbil to Universal Hospital in Gokul Nagar due to a shortage of oxygen. Despite Universal Hospital being a non-Covid facility, permission was granted for the same by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) at the eleventh hour.
Moreover, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) provided five jumbo cylinder to Diya Hospital. The hospital raised an alarm when it was depleting its supply and asked the relatives of the seven patients admitted in the hospital to be shifted elsewhere.
Dr Harish Kedar, a partner with Diya Hospital, said, “There are seven patients in the ICU, all of them are on oxygen support. We realised about the depleting oxygen supply at 4pm and contacted the vendor. But as there was no assurance of supply. We then informed the TMC.”
Although TMC made provision for 20 jumbo cylinders late on Tuesday evening and gave a backup too for these patients, as a precautionary measure the hospital shifted the patients to a different hospital around 8pm.
This saved the seven patients and their relatives a lot of anxiety and nightmare of shifting hospitals at the last moment.
One of the seven patients had tested negative but still required oxygen for breathing assistance, she was also moved to Universal Hospital.
Officials of the TMC rushed to a private vendor at Turbhe who provided oxygen cylinders.
Shankar Patole, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, TMC said, “If hospitals inform us at the eleventh hour it is very difficult to make provisions for the supply; in this instance, the said hospital’s vendor could not continue the supply of oxygen. Hospitals should ensure that there is confirmed provision of oxygen for at least next 24-48 hours.”
He added, “When we come to know of a shortage, we need to coordinate, make arrangements for the supply and the cylinders have to reach the hospital as well, all of this requires time. We have currently provided 25 jumbo cylinders to Diya Hospital. Moreover, two dura cylinders will also be given, to be kept as a standby in case of an emergency.”
