The hospital on Friday reported the death of 25 “sickest” patients due to depleting oxygen supplies
New Delhi:
Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has been waiting for three days to refill its oxygen cylinders that are used to transport critically ill COVID patients and is currently on ‘beg and borrow’ mode, sources said on Monday.
They said the hospital has, however, received 10 tonnes of liquid oxygen around 11:40 am. In the morning, the hospital said it has 4,000 cubic metres of oxygen left that will last eight hours.
The hospital has 104 oxygen cylinders which are used to move extremely ill COVID patients in cases of emergency – happening quite frequently now, an official said.
“All the cylinders were sent three days ago to different locations for an emergency refill. For the last three days our staff is camping there but to no avail,” he said.
The official added the elite hospital is on “beg and borrow” mode.
“The hospital has arranged two cylinders which are also going to be empty soon,” a source said, adding it is getting extremely difficulSt and risky to shift patients.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital requires a minimum of 11,000 cubic meter liquid oxygen daily and has a consumption of 10,000 cubic meter per day.
By 11:40 am today, a tanker with 10 tonnes of oxygen was sent from Jindal Steel plant in Odisha’s Rourkela by industrialist Naveen Jindal for the hospital, it said.
The vehicle took over 48 hours to reach Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
The hospital had on Friday reported the death of 25 of its “sickest” patients as the administration grappled with depleting oxygen supplies.