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Smaller hospitals say vendors stretched beyond capacity, some stop admitting patients
New Delhi: Around 7
New Delhi: Around 7.30am on Thursday, Dr. Avinder Sabharwal, the owner of Jeevan Hospital Gate No 2 in south Delhi’s Maharani Bagh, called the local police and the district administration that the hospital was fast running out of oxygen and the life of 11 Covid patients is on the line.
“While one supplier did not pick my call, the other oxygen cylinder supplier said he did not have any stock but promised he will do something. We had only one oxygen cylinder left at that time,” Sabharwal said.
The police and the district administration helped the hospital get nine cylinders by 1pm. “Had there been a delay of five minutes, we would have lost two critical Covid patients who were on ventilator support. The lives of other nine patients were also at risk,” said Sabharwal.
While the news of big hospitals in the city was being amplified on the social media, several hospitals with low bed capacity have also been struggling to get their regular oxygen supply. Big hospitals use liquid medical oxygen pumped through a gas pipeline in their wards but most hospitals with low bed strength depend on oxygen cylinders that can be attached to the supply line.
Delhi’s oxygen requirement has soared to nearly three times of the normal as an unprecedented surge of Covid-19 infections has filled up city hospitals with critical cases.
Many of the owners of these hospitals and nursing homes with a bed capacity between 15-100 said with the scarcity of medical oxygen and the week-long curfew has ensured that they have a little chance to get their oxygen stock replenished.
Dr RP Singh, medical superintendent of Amarleela Hospital in Janakpuri, said they have stopped taking new patients from Thursday morning. “It has become difficult to arrange oxygen cylinders. We flagged the oxygen shortage on Wednesday evening but except the police, no other agency came to our rescue. The police could only arrange two cylinders last night. Our regular supplier is able to provide only 3-4 cylinders against our requirement of 40 cylinders,” said .
Some other hospital owners said the local oxygen suppliers were either themselves affected by Covid or scared to step out. Dr Pawan Solanki, owner of the 50-bed Dharamveer Solanki Multispeciality Hospital in Rohini, said, “Our main oxygen vendor is in home isolation after testing Covid positive. But he is still managing to deliver us some cylinders. We have at least 10 Covid patients in ICU. Their lives are at risk as we are not getting the adequate supply of oxygen cylinders. We are also worried about legal problems that we may have to face in case of any untoward situation,” said Solanki.
HT tried to contact at least four local oxygen vendors. While the cellphones of two of them were switched off, the other two disconnected or did not respond to calls.
The management of at least two other hospitals, who did not want to come on record, said the government officials have taken hold of the oxygen refilling plants and are giving priority to government hospitals or bigger private hospitals.
On Thursday, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia urged the central government to intervene and stop Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments from “hoarding and monopolising oxygen supply designated for Delhi”.
“There is a fight for oxygen supply and this is because, even after increasing the oxygen quote by Central government, there are some states that are stopping oxygen supply to reach hospitals in Delhi. Several hospitals in Delhi now see a dearth of oxygen supply. There is no oxygen left anymore. I have received many messages from hospitals – Saroj Hospital, Rathi Hospital, UK Hospital, Jeevan Hospital etc., have informed they don’t have oxygen supply left anymore. Delhi government has been arranging cylinders for these and many other hospitals. Internal arrangements are makeshift arrangements which are not long-term solutions. Government and private hospitals in Delhi have very limited supply of oxygen now,” said Sisodia.
