Pimpri’s smaller private hospitals in ‘panic mode’ after oxygen shortage, PCMC says steps taken to ensure cylinder supply
A day after PCMC-run Jumbo Covid Hospital as well as smaller private hospitals faced an oxygen shortage, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation on Wednesday said the problem had eased late last evening and all steps were being taken to meet the demand.
“On Tuesday, there was oxygen shortage felt by at least 25 smaller private hospitals. By evening, the problem had eased as we made some oxygen cylinders available to them,” Deputy Municipal Commissioner Smita Zagade told The Indian Express Wednesday morning.
Zagade said at least 25 smaller private hospitals were in “panic mode” after their oxygen stock had exhausted. “We got several calls from smaller hospitals handling COVID patients seeking help for oxygen cylinders. We provided at least 50 pending oxygen cylinders to these hospitals from YCM hospital. Besides, we also requisitioned some cylinders from a private manufacturer,” she said.
As for the 816-bed Jumbo COVID Hospital, Zagade said, “Since an emergency situation had arisen, PCMC commissioner, divisional commissioner and FDA joint commissioner worked till late night to ensure adequate stock of oxygen to the hospital. They managed to get the supply from the manufacturers located in Pune and outside.”
Zagade said all efforts are underway to streamline the supply of oxygen to private hospitals as well as civic hospitals. “Bigger private hospitals like Aditya Birla or Lokmanya hospitals don’t face the shortage problem as they have their own oxygen tanks to store the oxygen. The smaller hospitals who have to refill their oxygen cylinders are facing the problem. But we are doing our best to ensure that they don’t face any shortage,” she said.
Dr Kiran Thorat, who runs the Care Lifeline hospital in Kalewadi area, told this paper last evening that if he did not get oxygen cylinders in next two-three hours, at least two COVID patients who are on oxygen support might die. On Wednesday, Thorat said, “Since it was an emergency situation, I myself rushed in a tempo to a Chakan manufacturer and managed to get 20 cylinders. There was no option left as I could not have waited for PCMC to act…Any delay could have proved fatal for the patients,” he said. There are nine patients on oxygen support and five on ventilator in the hospital.
In PCMC-run Jijamata hospital too, oxygen shortage created a scare on Tuesday. “We get 13-14 cylinders a day. But on Tuesday morning, we did not receive any cylinders. However, by evening we managed to get 10 cylinders. We hope to get some more today,” said Dr B Hodgar of Jijamata hospital.
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