Shortage hits, patient on oxygen told to leave hospital

BENGALURU: A serious shortage of medical oxygen has hit the city and many private hospitals are sending their oxygen-dependent patients, mostly Covid-infected, back home since Friday morning. Health Department officials said that while big, private and government hospitals have managed the situation, smaller ones with a capacity of 50 beds or less are badly hit. These hospitals are sending patients home as they do not have any way of sourcing oxygen. The official said that it is only a logistic issue and would be resolved soon.

The owner of a popular hospital said that they too had run out of oxygen for about 12 hours and had to send patients home.  R Ravindra, president, Private Hospitals Association (PHANA), said, “What can we do? I have written to the chief minister, health minister and all others. We even held meetings and set up a war room to deal with this issue. Still, this is happening.”

A single woman, Bhavika Mayuri (name changed), who works in Bengaluru and was put on oxygen after she complained of breathlessness and lung congestion, was asked by the hospital on Friday to get discharged immediately as they did not have enough oxygen. Bhavika had been admitted to the hospital, a well-known facility in East Bengaluru, by her friends a fortnight ago. She was on oxygen and at one point, her oxygen saturation level had dipped to 67.

She managed to survive only after the hospital administered her high-pressure oxygen.But on Friday morning, the hospital and nursing staff told Bhavika that she had to leave. But soon, hospital authorities arrived and told her that she has to pack up and leave as they do not have enough oxygen stocks. Bhavika pleaded with them, saying she did not have anywhere to go and leaving the hospital would be like walking to her death.

Bhavikasaid that she has suffered a severe lung tissue damage because of Covid and she needs 8-9 litres of oxygen every day which is not possible in Bengaluru under the current situation. She said that she is taking an ICU ambulance to another state, as she fears that all hospitals in Karnataka would run out of oxygen very soon.