Delhi: 20 COVID-19 patients die in Jaipur Golden Hospital due to low oxygen pressure

The hospital was to receive its quota of oxygen at 05:30 pm but the supply did not reach it till midnight.

Bengaluru, First Published Apr 24, 2021, 1:08 PM IST | Last Updated Apr 24, 2021, 1:08 PM IST

As many as 20 critically-ill Covid-19 patients died at Jaipur Golden Hospital in the national capital on Friday night due to low stock of oxygen. The hospital on Saturday morning also have oxygen for only 45 minutes and they sought for urgent government help.

"The oxygen pressure has dipped as we are running out of stock," Dr DK Baluja, the medical director of Jaipur Golden Hospital, told PTI.

“We lost 20 patients almost all of whom were in critical care unit and on a high flow of oxygen. Our liquid medical oxygen was over by about 10 pm and then we switched over to the oxygen cylinders attached to the main gas pipeline. There was a drop in pressure and the patients could not survive,” said Dr Baluja, medical director of the hospital.

Early Saturday, the hospital had sent an SOS to the Delhi government, requesting an urgent supply of oxygen.

Jaipur Golden is among several hospitals in Delhi that have been complaining about shortage of oxygen supply this week.

Dr Baluja said the hospital has over 200 patients and 80 per cent of them are on oxygen support. Around 35 patients are in the ICU, he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the acute shortage of oxygen supply across the city. He appealed to PM Modi to take strict action to contain the situation, else "there'll be a tragedy".

Arvind Kejriwal was among other Chief Ministers who attended a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

"There's a huge shortage of oxygen in Delhi. Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if there is no oxygen-producing plant here?" Arvind Kejriwal said during the meeting with PM Modi on Friday.

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