Tense moments at Chennai's Chromepet Government Hospital after vendor fails to supply oxygen

CHENNAI: The Chromepet Government Hospital witnessed some tense moments on Thursday after the regular vendor who supplies medical oxygen to the hospital expressed his inability to deliver it at the eleventh hour due to shortage of supply.

Later, Chengalpattu Collector A John Louis and other officials rushed to the spot and arranged for oxygen from the Tambaram Sanitorium Hospital.

The Chromepet Government Hospital has 50 beds for COVID-19 treatment, of which 45 are oxygen beds.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Dr Palanivel, Chief Medical Officer, Chromepet Government Hospital, said, "The vendor informed us in the morning that he couldn't supply the oxygen due to short supply. So immediately we acted and sourced cylinders from the Sanatorium Hospital. Later, 20 cylinders were also filled at a plant in Maraimalai Nagar. Before the running cylinders could get over, we managed to arrange the supply from other sources."

Meanwhile, social activist V Santhanam said the government can rope in residents' welfare associations and NGOs to coordinate on the needs of hospitals in the area in times like this. There should also be a separate team to monitor the oxygen needs of hospitals in the area, he said.