25 'Sickest' COVID Patients Died In Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital Due To Shortage In Oxygen Supply
Despite the frantic calls and attempts by governments, hospitals, and others to arrange them, medical oxygen continues to be in limited supply.
And in the worst-hit areas, the acute shortage of oxygen is becoming another COVID-19 horror story.
In Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital alone, 25 "sickest" COVID-19 patients have died in the last 24 hours, and the lives of another 60 such patients are at risk.
Resorting to manual ventilation
The hospital's Director, Medical, said in a statement that they are resorting to manual ventilation in ICUs and the emergency department.
"25 sickest patients have died in last 24 hours oxygen will last another two hours. Ventilators and Bipap not working effectively. Resorting to manual ventilation in ICUs and Emergency. Major crisis likely. Lives of another 60 sickest patients at risk, need urgent intervention," the statement said.
There are more than 500 coronavirus patients, including around 150 on high flow oxygen support, admitted in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital located in central Delhi.
On Thursday night, the hospital officials had sent an SOS to the government, saying there's only five hours of oxygen left at the healthcare facility and requesting that it be replenished urgently.
"At 8 pm, oxygen in store is for five hours for peripheral use till 1 am and less for high flow use. Need urgent oxygen supplies," an official had said.
The hospital had received some oxygen around 12.30 am, but the stock had to be supplemented later.
This is not just the story of one hospital, in fact, all almost all the medical facilities in Delhi, treating COVID-19 patients are facing a similar crisis, due to the high demand and restricted supply at a time when the second wave of the pandemic is spreading out of control.
Several private hospitals in the city have been struggling to replenish their oxygen supply for the last four days.
Some of them have even requested the Delhi government to transfer patients to other healthcare facilities.
While some hospitals have managed to make short-term arrangements, there is no immediate end to the crisis in sight, a government official had said on Thursday.
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.?
Faced with the acute shortage, many hospitals were also forced to discharge their patients.
