BHOPAL: Despite the tall claims of the state government, healthcare professionals of the government, as well as those of the private hospitals, said that the situation in hospitals is highly critical as far as the availability of beds and oxygen is concerned. The coming days are very crucial for Covid-19 patients, as well as for the health department. The stock of oxygen at both government and private hospitals may last only a couple of days in Madhya Pradesh. Patients are moving from hospital to hospital for ventilators and oxygen-supported beds. According to healthcare professionals, the oxygen crisis is poised to take a grim turn in Madhya Pradesh within a couple of days. However, the government claims that it has managed to obtain oxygen from Bhilai Steel Plant, besides some of the states.
Ambulance operators said that oxygen is available in 76 vehicles dedicated for Covid patients in Madhya Pradesh. They said that, sometimes, in cases where beds are not available in hospitals, they have to support Covid patients on oxygen. According to sources, at Nobel Hospital, beds are fully occupied and the situation is fast deteriorating. Even the private hospitals are facing an oxygen crisis and a lack of availability of beds. The situation in AIIMS, too, is not good after 50 members of the staff turned out to be Covid-positive there.
‘Getting worse by the day’
"The situation is getting worse day by day. Oxygen-supported beds aren’t available in hospitals, while the corona infection situation is deteriorating fast. So, the demand for oxygen is increasing. Similarly, all the medical stores have long queues of customers for medicines. The situation is becoming uncontrollable. However, the government is trying its best. All in all, the public must be held responsible for the situation. Ambulances are streaming back and forth on the roads, reflecting that the situation is critical in the state capital, as in other parts of the state," Dr Satpati, JK Hospital, said.
‘Dependent on vendors’
"We’re totally depend on vendors for supply of oxygen. If vendors stop their supply, we’ll be helpless. We have 10 ventilators and all are full. Similarly, high-speed nozzle flow is also full. This time, patients are being admitted in very serious condition. So, if we increase the number of beds, we need more oxygen, too, which depends totally on the vendors’ wish. Today, we’re getting oxygen, but what’ll happen tomorrow we don’t know as all depends on the vendors of oxygen. Vendors, too, in turn, depend on supply. Similarly, we’re facing a crisis in the supply of the Remdesiver injection. Oxygen supply and Remdesiver are both crucial nowadays for Covid patients," Dr Alok Kulshrestha, People’s Hospital, said.
