Delhi hospitals left with oxygen supply of only 8-10 hours, says Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, seeks Centre's help

New Delhi: Amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, concerns over oxygen supply for coronavirus patients continue in the national capital on Wednesday, with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia flagging the urgent need in both government and private hospitals across the city.

Sisodia, who is also Delhi`s nodal minister for Covid-19 management, said he is getting calls from all several hospitals regarding the shortage of oxygen and many of them need supplies immediately.

"In many hospitals in Delhi, oxygen is available till only next 8-12 hours. We have been demanding for one week to increase the oxygen supply quota to Delhi, which the Central government has to do. If oxygen does not reach the hospitals in sufficient quantity by tomorrow morning, there will be an outcry," Sisodia said in a tweet.

 

दिल्ली में अधिकतर अस्पतालों में केवल अगले 8 से 12 घंटे के लिए ही ऑक्सिजन उपलब्ध है.

हम एक हफ़्ते से दिल्ली को ऑक्सिजन सप्लाई कोटा बढ़ाने की माँग कर रहे हैं जोकि केंद्र सरकार को करना है . अगर कल सुबह तक पर्याप्त मात्रा में अस्पतालों में ऑक्सिजन नहीं पहुँची तो हाहाकार मच जाएगा. pic.twitter.com/omO7RCTaCj — Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 20, 2021

 

Late on Tuesday, the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal`s Office said, "We (Delhi Govt) are responding to the below query, that 241 MT of oxygen was supplied to Delhi on Monday and 355.33 MT on Tuesday (upto 3 PM) by five manufacturers, and the total stock of oxygen in the city`s hospitals upto 3 PM on Tuesday was 508 MT."

Sisodia also shared the list of some government and private hospitals with the period for which they have oxygen supply. Among government hospitals, DDU Hospital has 12 hours supply, the Burari Hospital and Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital for 8 hours, Ambedkar Hospital for 24 hours, the Acharya Bikshu Hospital for 10-12 hrs.

Amid private hospitals, the BL Kapoor Hospital has 8-10 hours supply, the Stephen Hospital for 12-15 hours, Max Patparganj for 10 hours and the Maharaja Agrasen for 5 hours.

CM Arvind Kejriwal had on Tuesday urged the Centre "with folded hands" to provide medical oxygen to Delhi and his deputy Manish Sisodia said there will be chaos in the city if the stocks are not replenished by Wednesday morning. ICU beds in Delhi hospitals were also filling up fast amid a surge in coronavirus infections.

Only 30 of them were available for coronavirus patients in government and private hospitals across the national capital at 10 pm, according to data from the city government's Delhi Corona app.

"Serious oxygen crisis persists in Delhi," Kejriwal tweeted, adding some hospitals are left with just a few hours of stock. In another tweet, he said, "I urge the Central government with folded hands to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi."

 

Serious oxygen crisis persists in Delhi. I again urge centre to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi. Some hospitals are left with just a few hours of oxygen. — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 20, 2021

 

Health Minister Satyendar Jain sent an SOS to Union Minister Piyush Goyal at 10:20 pm, saying oxygen at GTB Hospital may not last beyond 4 hrs. More than 500 corona patients on oxygen. Pl help @PiyushGoyal to restore oxygen supply to avert major crisis.

According to Jain, Delhi got 240 metric tonnes of oxygen on Monday and 365 MT on Tuesday against the requirement of 700 MT per day.

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said its oxygen stock would last till 1 am. The hospital has 485 COVID beds, of which 475 are occupied. Around 120 patients are currently in the ICU. Its chairman D S Rana said, "6,000 cubic meters of it is left, which at the rate of current consumption will last till 1 am. Need urgent replenishment."

Kejriwal had on Sunday termed shortage of oxygen for coronavirus patients an "emergency". He had also written to Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal, seeking his intervention in the matter.

On Monday, the Delhi government set up a 24-member committee to ensure "rational" use of oxygen for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. An order issued by the Health Department said the 'Oxygen Audit Committee' will identify areas of wasteful consumption.

The consumption of oxygen has undergone a quantum increase with the admission of a large number of serious patients who require oxygen support, it said. Sisodia on Tuesday said the Centre should be "sensitive and active" in handling the situation so that there is no clamour among states over its supply.

He also alleged that people involved in supplying oxygen are being stopped in different states. Also, of the 4,585 ICU beds for coronavirus patients in government and private hospitals across Delhi, only 30 were available at 8 pm.

Only 2,426 COVID-19 beds are available at hospitals in Delhi at present, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Tuesday and assured people that the city government was increasing the number of beds at a fast pace.

The details of the available beds can be found on the Delhi Corona app, he told reporters, adding the Delhi government was making efforts to increase the number of beds, and approximately 1,000-1,500 beds are being added every day. 

On Tuesday, the city recorded another massive surge in new Covid cases at 28,395, the highest single-day spike so far while there were 277 deaths.

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