Restore oxygen supply to avert major crisis at GTB Hospital: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain appeals to Piyush Goyal

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the oxygen supply at GTB Hospital may not last more than four hours, adding that more than 500 Covid-19 patients on oxygen support are admitted to the hospital at present.

Representational Image: Reuters

New Delhi: In view of an "acute shortage" of medical oxygen at GTB Hospital in the capital, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday (April 20) urged Union minister Piyush Goyal to help in overcoming the shortage.

In his tweet, Satyendar Jain said the oxygen supply at GTB Hospital may not last more than four hours, adding that more than 500 Covid-19 patients on oxygen support are admitted to the hospital at present.

Tagging Piyush Goyal, Jain tweeted, "Acute shortage of oxygen at GTB Hospital. Oxygen may not last beyond four hours. More than 500 corona patients on oxygen. Please help @PiyushGoyal to restore oxygen supply to avert major crisis."

Media people are asking about oxygen supplied to Delhi. 240 Mt and 365 Mt oxygen supplied to Delhi on Mon & Tue against requirement of 700 mt per day.
Stock position in most of the hospitals is not more than 10 to 12 hours.
Every day we require 700 mt oxygen.

— Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) April 20, 2021

The Delhi Health Minister also attached two screenshots of messages sent to him by one GTB Hospital official seeking urgent help.

The message read, "Dear sir, It is for your kind information that there is a great difficulty in getting supply of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and oxygen cylinders from the vendor M/s INOX. As per their version, the local district authorities like DM and SSP do not allow the vendor to send the supply to other states like Delhi."

In another tweet, Jain wrote, "Media people are asking about oxygen supplied to Delhi. 240 Mt and 365 Mt oxygen supplied to Delhi on Mon & Tue against requirement of 700 mt per day. Stock position in most of the hospitals is not more than 10 to 12 hours. Every day we require 700 mt oxygen."

Media people are asking about oxygen supplied to Delhi. 240 Mt and 365 Mt oxygen supplied to Delhi on Mon & Tue against requirement of 700 mt per day.
Stock position in most of the hospitals is not more than 10 to 12 hours.
Every day we require 700 mt oxygen.

— Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) April 20, 2021

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital reportedly said that their 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 DS 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."

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal 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.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish 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.

Sisodia, who is also the nodal minister for COVID-19 management in the national capital, said he is getting SOS calls on oxygen shortage from all hospitals. He also alleged that people involved in supplying oxygen are being stopped in different states.

(With Agency Inputs)