BENGALURU: Despite having ample time on its hands, the State Government failed to anticipate the severity of the second wave, as cautioned by the Technical Advisory Committee in November itself. Now, Bengaluru is on the brink of experiencing a Chamarajanagar-like tragedy due to shortage of oxygen in the hospitals.
At least three hospitals in the state capital were in a a dire situation on Monday as they ran out of oxygen, throwing patients and their families into a tizzy. Medax Hospital on Sultanpalya Main Road in RT Nagar area, with 30 patients, was requesting patients’ families to shift them to other hospitals due to shortage of oxygen. Another hospital, Rajarajeshwari Nagar Medical College and Hospital (RRMCH) was left with medical medical oxygen that would have lasted just three hours.
Although volunteers helped Medax Hospital and the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner sent 20 cylinders to RRMCH at 5.30 pm, this was not sufficient. This is part of the oxygen crisis repeating itself every few days in the city. The hospital authorities wrote frantic letters to patients and their families admitted in Medax, stating, “We are running out of oxygen supply, we are unable to collect oxygen care for the patient. We have been informing since May 1st, 6pm. We will shortly run out of oxygen by May 3, 5 pm. Kindly arrange beds in different hospitals. We regret the situation.”
Speaking to The New Indian Express around 2 pm on Monday, Medax Hospital medical director Dr Srihari R Shapur said they have been facing oxygen shortage since a week. The hospital staff have been running around for oxygen. Until now, they were getting it from Hosur, but the supply has reduced from there, leaving them with no option. By 4.30 pm, 15 oxygen cylinders were arranged by different organisations and Shifa Hospital on Queen’s Road.
Medax was told that Deputy CM Ashwath Narayan would send oxygen cylinders, but they received none. “We need more cylinders as this won’t be sufficient. Some patients moved to other hospitals and currently, 25 patients are in requirement of oxygen,” said Dr Shapur.Saqib Idrees, a volunteer who was trying to organise cylinder for Medax, pointed out that he had got calls from four hospitals requesting oxygen cylinders. “We called up Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar asking him for help. He said that hospitals need to raise a formal requests for the demand to be met. Doing all this will take time, when patients are in an emergency. The government has failed. We volunteers are helping in arranging for cylinders as much as we can.”
Dr Naveen S, principal, Raja Rajeshwari Medical College and Hospital, said they have a capacity to store nine tonnes of oxygen, but they get only two tons as refill every time.”Then, we hunt for more. Two tons lasts for only 16 hours. We have 200 Covid-19 patients requiring oxygen,” he said. Chaitanya Medical Centre in Yelahanka too said it is in dire need of oxygen for its patients. In a letter, the hospital authorities stated that they have 21 in-patients, but were left with no oxygen cylinders and that they needed help.