Delhi: Max Hospital receives emergency oxygen supply after SOS

The Max Hospital-Saket on Friday morning sent out an SOS, saying it was left with "an hour's oxygen supply" and over 700 patients admitted.
Two hours later, in a tweet, the hospital confirmed that it had received emergency supplies, which will last "last another two hours".

The hospital said it had been awaiting fresh supply from oxygen manufacturer Inox since 1 am.

"SOS - Less than an hour's Oxygen supplies at Max Smart Hospital & Max Hospital Saket. Awaiting promised fresh supplies from INOX since 1 am. @drharshvardhan @msisodia @PMOIndia @ArvindKejriwal @PiyushGoyal

@SatyendarJain over 700 patients admitted, need immediate assistance," the hospital had tweeted at 7.43 am.

According to the South Delhi DCP, a vehicle carrying oxygen reached Max Smart around 9 am and another vehicle was enroute.

"Oxygen carrying vehicle has reached Max Smart. Another vehicle is enroute for Max East West. Senior Officers are monitoring the situation," the police said on Twitter.

Around 9.30 am, the Max Healthcare said it was awaiting more supplies.

"Update: We have received emergency supplies at Max Saket and Max Smart which will last another 2 hours. We are still awaiting more supplies," it said.

Amid a serious oxygen crisis in the national capital, 25 "sickest" COVID-19 patients died at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here in the last 24 hours, officials said on Friday.

Sources said "low pressure oxygen" could be the likely cause for the deaths.

A central government source said the SGRH has "sufficient balance of oxygen and a tanker has reached the hospital, which will fill up the storage capacity".

The tanker reached the hospital around 9.20 am. The stock can last up to five hours, depending on the consumption, an official at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said.

In a letter to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said six private hospitals had exhausted their oxygen supply by Thursday evening.

As patients and their family members waited outside hospitals, hoping to get a bed, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday had said beds would be increased in large numbers once the oxygen crisis was resolved.

A government doctor said hospitals in Delhi are wary of admitting more patients amid a serious shortage of oxygen in the city.