NASHIK: A number of private hospitals in Nashik are facing shortage of oxygen, bringing uncertainty and also forcing some Covid-19 patients to go to another hospital.
One such incident occurred at a 25-bed private hospital near Nasardi Bridge on the Nashik-Pune road on Wednesday when the hospital sounded an alert among patients about shortage of oxygen supply from producers around 9 am.
“The oxygen supply is erratic. I did not want to endanger the lives of five patients who were on ventilators. Hence, I pointed out the issue to them around 9am. I also told them that oxygen supply could also be restored. However, one patient chose to shift to some other private hospital,” said Avinash Andhale, the owner of the hospital.
The hospital got the additional supply of oxygen by 11 and the situation was normal for now. “None of us can assure anything related to oxygen at this point,” he said.
Hospitals of this size that would require one liquid oxygen cylinder for seven days now require eight cylinders for one day.
“We have to continuously follow up with suppliers for oxygen cylinders,” said another doctor.
The owner of another private Covid hospital, P Patil, said, “I have just opened a 15-bed Covid hospital following permission from the NMC. It has 10 oxygen and three ICU beds besides two ventilators. However, I am unable to start treatment for Covid patients due to lack of oxygen.”
When contacted, acting medical superintendent of NMC, Rajendra Trimbake, said they have given the list of private Covid hospitals to the FDA and district administration, seeking an adequate supply of oxygen.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Indian Medical Association, led by Nashik unit president Hemant Sonanis, met district collector Suraj Mandhare and apprised him of the oxygen shortage.
“We have been assured about the normalcy, especially after the government has diverted oxygen for medical use only. It would, however, take at least three days for the situation to get normal,” said Sonanis.