Hospitals across the country especially across within Delhi-NCR are in the grip of an ‘oxygen emergency’. Patients struggling and suffering with COVID literally cannot breathe. What has brought things to this crisis point?
In conversation with Mitali Mukherjee, Dr. Devlina Chakravarty, managing director, Artemis Medicare Services Limited explained that the current outbreak of COVID has been huge in terms of numbers affected, and patients are also desaturating faster and need oxygen support.
She also said the hospital does not expect the current oxygen crisis to turn overnight. Dr. Chakravarty said the hospital is currently getting one-third of their supply while demand is up between three to four times.
Dr. Chakravarty also warned that numbers of COVID cases are likely to increase in the coming days, and hospitals urgently needed greater national and state coordination in ensuring a smooth flow of oxygen supply to hospitals. In response to a question on the criticism being directed at hospitals for ‘creating panic’ and ‘wasting oxygen’, Dr. Chakravarty said: “Criticism is not my priority, saving the lives of our patients is.”