Kolkata: Hospitals raise oxygen shortage concerns

KOLKATA: The state-run Calcutta National Medical College Hospital (CNMCH) that started taking in Covid patients from April 15 with 50 beds now has 146 designated beds for the infected.
The hospital is now facing challenges in admitting serious patients due to its oxygen supply capacity issues.
DHS Ajay Chakraborty conceded there was an issue with the oxygen at the hospital, saying it was due to the increasing number of serious patients requiring oxygen therapy.
“This is due to an unprecedented situation where people needing oxygen support increased. The principal has already ordered the agency to add another panel to augment the capacity of oxygen supply. Quality of care is the main objective and we are increasing the beds — both CCU and oxygen,” he said.
JNM Hospital and Medical College in Kalyani, which functions under the West Bengal University of Health Sciences, has also raised concern about oxygen shortage. Some junior doctors even sat on protest on Thursday demanding adequate oxygen storage.
Health officials said the problem here, too, was due to there being more patients than the oxygen storage capacity.
Oxygen supply is not an issue in Bengal yet, despite the massive increase in demand, officials said.
Private hospitals and nursing homes depending on cylinders are, however, facing a crisis.
They are getting the supply, but there is a problem keeping pace with the number of patients.
“We have 60 Covid patients and 90% of them need oxygen support. The process of buying new cylinders is on so we can continue treatment,” said Govind Ram Agarwal, general secretary, Marwari Relief Society Hospital.