COVID patients continue to suffer due to lack of oxygen supply

Eight Covid patients reportedly died due to short supply of oxygen in Hindupur Government General Hospital in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Monday. 

CHAMARAJANAGAR/VIJAYAWADA/NEW DELHI : Twenty-four Covid patients died in Chamarajanagar District Hospital in Karnataka on Sunday night allegedly due to lack of timely oxygen supply. On Sunday, the hospital was left with three dozen cylinders and the expected delivery did not arrive as scheduled. Some patients felt breathlessness and informed their family and friends about the situation. The hospital staff advised the attendants of patients to shift them to other hospitals. 

The situation slipped out of control as patients started dying, creating panic. Meanwhile, Mysuru M P Prathap Simha intervened and rushed 50 cylinders. He also made arrangements for another 180. However, the tragedy had occurred by the time the cylinders reached and supply was restored.In another incident, four Covid-19 patients with comorbidities died due to non-availability of staff to man the ventilators at the Aland Taluk Hospital in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi.

Grief-stricken relatives of the deceased patients outside the Chamarajanagar district hospital on Monday | Udayarsankar S
Grief-stricken relatives of the deceased patients outside the Chamarajanagar district hospital on Monday | Udayarsankar S

Andhra Pradesh also reported deaths from alleged oxygen shortage. Eight Covid patients reportedly died due to short supply of oxygen in Hindupur Government General Hospital in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Monday. According to information, oxygen supply to the patients on ventilators and oxygen masks started decreasing around 5:10 am. Attendants of patients who noticed the situation informed the matter to the hospital staff. Irked by the ‘indifferent attitude’ of the hospital staff, the attendants broke the windows and rushed to the beds with oxygen cylinders kept on standby on the hospital premises. Though they tried to administer oxygen, eight patients died. 

Attendants of other patients too rushed out to get oxygen cylinders, fearing the shortage in might lead to death of their kin.The situation in Delhi continued to remain grim with several private hospitals scampering to refill their oxygen stocks. Dharamveer Solanki Hospital in Rohini, MKW Hospital in Rajouri Garden, and Batra Hospital said they were facing difficulty due to shortage of the life-saving gas. Batra Hospital said it would cut down the number of beds until the situation improves. 

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