Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 29

The shortage of medical oxygen supply to private hospitals has Covid patients staring at a medical crisis, with several refusing to admit Level-3 patients on Thursday.

The shortage has created panic among private hospitals. A private hospital on the Namdev road had to send back 20 patients due to the problem on Wednesday.

A private hospital doctor said, “We are very short on supply. No vendor is responding to our calls.”

A 60-year-old woman, Narmada Devi of Paras Ram Nagar, had to be taken to seven city hospitals on Wednesday, but she was not admitted in any due bed and oxygen shortage. She was then taken to Bikaner in an ambulance, where she died at 2 am during treatment. A doctor at a private multispecialty hospital said, “Though we managed to arrange oxygen, we do not have a regular supply. For this reason many hospitals are not admitting Level-3 ventilator patients.”

Dr Vikas Chahbra, Bathinda IMA president, said, “An oxygen tanker was to arrive here last night, but it has not reached yet.” Dr Tejwant Singh Dhillon, Civil Surgeon, said, “While some hospitals are facing shortage, some are trying to stock up. Private hospitals are not cooperating with us. We have formed teams, which will visit and check the stock of medical oxygen at private hospitals.”

“We had oxygen supplied to the Adesh Hospital yesterday. Over 130 patients are admitted there. We are trying to provide adequate oxygen to all hospitals,” he added.