New Delhi, May 1: In a shocking incident highlighting oxygen scarcity in the national capital, eight Covid-19 patients, including a senior doctor, died at a leading hospital here due to oxygen shortage.
Batra Hospital Medical Director Dr SCL Gupta said one of the dead was the head of the gastroenterology department, Dr RK Imrani, who was under medical care for Covid-19.
Dr Gupta said that six of the eight who died were in the Intensive Care Unit on high flow oxygen.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted soon after Gupta went on record to talk about the incident, "This news is very painful. Their lives could have been saved by giving oxygen on time. Delhi should be given its quota of oxygen. Such deaths of our people should not happen. Delhi required 976 tonnes of oxygen and yesterday (Friday) only 312 tonnes of oxygen was given. How does Delhi breathe?"
"We had alerted authorities that we were running out of oxygen. Our desperate SOS did not get an immediate response. When we received oxygen, eight patients were no more. Those people could have been rescued. This is not right," he added.
"This is happening in Delhi, the national capital, and if it is happening here, you can imagine what is happening in other parts of the country," he said.
Delhi government and city hospitals have been raising the issue of oxygen scarcity in the capital for the past couple of weeks. Earlier, there were reports that 25 people died due to lack of oxygen in Ganga Ram Hospital though the officials there denied any such possibility.
The capital has been witnessing a huge demand for medical oxygen and several people have lost their lives as hospitals and families could not arrange oxygen on time. Serpentine queues were seen at oxygen refilling units while there were also complaints that some of the suppliers were over-charging consumers.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led government has projected a demand of 976 tonnes of oxygen daily while the Centre has allocated 490 tonnes of oxygen daily.
"Not for a single day has Delhi been able to receive the allocated quantity of 490 MT oxygen. Every day is an SOS situation for Delhi," Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted on Friday.
On Saturday, the Delhi High Court warned the Centre that it will initiate contempt proceedings against it if it does not provide 490 tonne of oxygen today.
"If not implemented we will have the head of DPIIT shall remain present, in case of non compliance we may consider initiating contempt proceedings," it added.
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