Oxygen shortage forces Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to shift 168 COVID-19 patients

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had to shift 168 COVID-19 patients from six civic-run hospitals as these facilities ran out of oxygen, a top official said on Sunday. These patients had to be moved to other hospitals early on Saturday, he said.

"Between 1 am and 5 am on 17 April, the civic authorities shifted 168 patients from Mumbai's six hospitals, including 30 from the ICUs, to jumbo field hospitals of the BMC, saving the life of each one of them," Mumbai civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal said.

He said that it had to be done because these six hospitals ran out of oxygen owing to the problem of limited oxygen being supplied to the BMC.

However, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya demanded an apology from the Mumbai mayor over the oxygen shortage that led to the incident. "Shame on the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government and the Shiv Sena. The BMC was compelled to shift 168 COVID patients, including those in the ICU, as there was no oxygen in six civic-run hospitals," Somaiya said.

The Shiv Sena currently rules the Mumbai civic body.