Shortage of oxygen cylinders plague Karimnagar patients

KARIMNAGAR: As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on in Telangana, doctors in Karimnagar have advised patients in home isolation to stock up on oxygen cylinders. But the patients are finding it difficult to do so amid an acute shortage of cylinders in the district. At present, the everyday demand from hospitals and homes put together is around 1,200 cylinders, but due to the shortage only 50 per cent is being met, sources said. There are three oxygen cylinder suppliers in Karimnagar, who cater to government and private hospitals. 

But the pandemic has increased the demand in the last three months with Covid designated hospitals ordering for cylinders on a daily basis. Brindavan oxygen cylinder suppliers in-charge S Ramesh told Express that Covid-19 patients need B-type oxygen cylinder, which is 1.5 cubic metres or has a 10-litre capacity. “We do not prefer supplying oxygen cylinders to homes because of the shortage. Usually, hospitals return empty cylinders by evening. Also, these cylinders are 7 cubic metres (i.e., 47 litres capacity), which is not suitable for Covid-19 patients under home isolation,” he said.

Additionally, there is a shortage of liquid gas tankers -- earlier the tankers used to arrive from Hyderabad twice a week but now it is just once. This has forced suppliers to source these from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and also from Odisha, Ramesh said. Meanwhile, some private doctors are advising patients to buy five-litre portable oxygen machines, which convert water into air. But this does not provide enough oxygen for patients, said P Sravan, whose father is recovering from Covid-19. Suppliers said the only way to meet the steep demand was by streamlining the supply and improving cylinder rotation.