Nagpur: A 30-bed hospital in North Nagpur has discharged all its Covid patients, some of them in critical condition, after its oxygen stock exhausted and health authorities allegedly failed to replenish it. Four of the critical patients passed away after being shifted while rest were accommodated in other hospitals.
On Friday, a 100-bed hospital in West Nagpur created a flutter after it asked relatives of all patients to take them away and admit them to other hospitals. Late in the night, the deputy director of health services rushed 40 jumbo cylinders to the hospital where relatives were in panic thinking about the grim scenarios.
Kamal Chowk’s Shraman Hospital Dr Prakash Kshatriya told TOI that four patients are still in admission and have been retained because as of now they don’t need oxygen. “None of the four died in the hospital. Among the recent admission one woman was on oxygen but she was critical and died. Three other critical patients were shifted and may have died after leaving the hospital. We have no specific detail about what happened to them and where,” he said.
Kunal Hospital director Dr Shishir Shrivastav said they were left with no option then to ask relatives to find alternatives. “We can’t see them die because of lack of oxygen. I had made several appeals to provide oxygen but it was only fulfilled when we warned of discharging patients,” he said.
DDHS office and Nagpur Municipal Corporation asked Dr Shrivastav to stop new admission but not to discharge the under-treatment patients. “Where will they go,” they appealed, and immediately sent a truck load of jumbo cylinders.
Both Dr Kshatriya and Dr Shrivastav said the oxygen shortage is worst seen in years in Nagpur and there doesn’t seem to be any early solution.
NMC officials said they were verifying where and how the four deaths took place and if they were related to oxygen shortage.
Commenting on the oxygen shortage over the phone, district guardian minister Nitin Raut said, “I have asked divisional commissioner to take stock of the production and where the supply is going. We have the local production capacity but since cylinders are also being supplied to places outside district, this issue is coming up. Once divisional commissioner reviews the situation, and extra supply is needed, we will request state health department to allocate extra stock for Nagpur."
DDHS Dr Sanjay Jaiswal referred TOI queries to district health officer Dr Deepak Seolukar who didn't respond to the call. Civil surgeon Dr Devendra Paturkar also didn't respond to TOI queries. The story will be updated when TOI receives their comments.