3 min readNew DelhiApr 20, 2021 10:34 PM IST
First published on: Apr 20, 2021 at 06:56 PM IST
The Delhi government has raised serious concerns over the acute shortage of medical oxygen across the several Covid hospitals in the city, with most of the hospitals having a supply that will last for 8-12 hours, if not disrupted.
“Serious oxygen crisis persists in Delhi. I again urge the Center to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi. Some hospitals are left with just a few hours of oxygen,” tweeted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday. He urged the Centre to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi since some hospitals are left with just a few hours of oxygen.
“Had a review meeting with officials on the current situation of Corona. We are working on a war footing to ensure oxygen supply in Delhi, and are also talking to the central government. An increase in the number of oxygen beds is happening on a large scale,” he tweeted again.
According to sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) all possible efforts are being made to smoothen the supply lines. “Things should improve in a few hours. Oxygen has to be brought from UP and vehicles have been sent. Delhi will not go out of oxygen,” sources said.
Data shared by deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia shows that in most of the hospitals- state-run and private – the oxygen supply is available for 8-10 hours. “In most hospitals in Delhi, oxygen is available for the next 8 to 12 hours only. 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,” tweeted Sisodia.
With a massive rise in the daily number of Covid cases, hospitals in the city have been raising alarms about the depleting oxygen supply. Dr DS Rana, chairman of board at Sir Ganga Ram hospital told The Indian Express, “We have 500 Covid patients in the hospital out of which 128 are in the ICU. The oxygen requirement for the patients in the ICU is relatively higher than those admitted in the general wards. If we continue with the current situation, the existing oxygen supply will last for only seven-eight hours. Normally, we require 3,000 cubic meter of oxygen in a day and currently, the demand has gone up to approximately 10,000 cubic meter. I have been working with the hospital for the last 40 years and this is the first time that we have seen such a crisis.”
The bed occupancy in the hospitals at the moment is 86 per cent. However, the critical care facilities are filling up fast. As per the Delhi government’s Corona App, there are only 30 ICU beds available at the moment.
The Delhi government had on Monday set up a 24-member committee to ensure the "rational" use of oxygen for treatment of Covid-19 patients. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna) 
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