72 Oxygen cylinders sourced in 2 hours save 73 lives in Kolkata

KOLKATA: A late-night joint effort by police, health officials and NGOs prevented a repeat of the tragedies due to oxygen shortage that have rocked hospitals in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat with cylinders being rushed to a hospital from all parts of the city in the nick of time to save 73 Covid patients.
With oxygen fast getting exhausted, doctors at Garia’s Remedy Hospital sent out desperate SOS messages to everyone they knew. The hospital’s oxygen supply that runs on cylinders had not arrived on time due to a snag at the refill station in Domjur. A health official who received the call said the doctor at the other end of the line was begging for help and was literally in tears.

According to Kolkata Police, commissioner Soumen Mitra received a call around 9.20pm about the precarious situation at the hospital and asked the KP welfare cell to step in.
The cell’s team contacted the dealers. At first, nine cylinders were arranged by the cops. The Baruipur SDO also called oxygen manufacturer Linde and arranged for 40 B-type cylinders. In addition, 13 cylinders from Baruipur hospital and 10 from M R Bangur were sent.
The frantic efforts on multiple fronts saw 72 cylinders reach the hospital by 11.15pm. A few minutes delay and the oxygen supply would have run out and left patients gasping.
The scheduled delivery of 65 cylinders reached the hospital around 3.30am. “The demand for oxygen has gone up, causing delay in refill. In addition, a snag had occurred at the plant, further delaying delivery,” an hospital official recounted.
Officials at Baruipur sub-division hospital said the private hospital had a capacity of 40 patients but twice as many patients were admitted there. Cops from Narendrapur PS had to be deployed to control a mob that had gathered after a patient with respiratory distress died while waiting in the ambulance. “With oxygen supply very low, we were not in a position to offer oxygen to another patient who had not yet been admitted,” a hospital official said.