COVID-19: Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital receives 4 tons of oxygen

Amid severe oxygen shortage due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) received four tons of oxygen on Monday morning, hospital sources said.

According to the sources, Inox Air products Ltd Oxygen tanker arrived at SGRH at 0445 hours and left the hospital at 0615 hours.

The source informed, "The hospital has a consumption of 10,000 cubic meters per day, but the available total stock of oxygen till 7 am was 4000 cubic meters which will only last for 8 hours."

The hospital reported that it has 104 oxygen cylinders, used to transfer extremely ill COVID patients from COVID emergency to ICU and from Wards to ICU in case of emergency - happening very frequently and all 104 of them were sent three days back to three locations for an emergency refill.

Hospital sources further stated, "For the last three days, our staff and transport are camping there but to no avail. Currently, the hospital is in beg and borrow mode and it is an extreme crisis situation. Hospital has arranged two cylinders which are also going to finish quickly."

The national capital's healthcare infrastructure is reeling under the pressure of the rapidly rising coronavirus cases. Over the last week, several hospitals across the state have sent SOS messages and repeatedly flagged acute shortages in oxygen.

The Ganga Ram Hospital raised the matter for three consecutive days since Thursday.

On Thursday, 25 of the hospital's sickest COVID patients passed away.

According to the Union Health Ministry, Delhi is among the ten states reporting 74.5 per cent of the new COVID-19 cases in the country and among the twelve states displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases.

Delhi on Monday reported 22,933 new COVID-19 cases and 350 deaths, said the ministry.

( With inputs from ANI )