Oxygen shortage: Major disaster averted in KC General Hospital in Karnataka

A major disaster that could have spelled doom to many lives due to shortage of oxygen at KC General Hospital in Karnataka's Malleshwaram was averted by timely action taken by Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C.N.Ashwatha Narayana and alertness exhibited by Dr. Renuka Prasad, who was monitoring the oxygen supply vertical in the hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hospital has an oxygen storage tank of 6 tonnes capacity and by late night on Wednesday barely 0.5 tonnes was remaining. About 200 patients were being on treatment in oxygenated beds. The oxygen supply which was supposed to come from a private company from Bellary (ProxAir) did not arrive. This aroused anxious moments in the staff of the hospital and then Dr. Prasad apprised Narayana about the severity of the situation.

Narayana, also MLA from Malleshwaram, sensed the gravity of the context and identified another private company (Universal Company) located in Dabaspete on the Bengaluru- Pune National Highway (NH 48) where the oxygen was available. He ordered the company to provide 20 jumbo cylinders. The company responded positively and agreed to send oxygen in the tanker to the hospital.

In the meantime, the task force head alerted the traffic police to ensure zero traffic on the way from Dabaspete to the point of reach in Malleshwaram. The oxygen tank was refilled to 5.5 tonnes that is about 90 per cent of the storage capacity, by 5 am on Thursday.

( With inputs from ANI )