Karnataka Oxygen Shortage: Chief Secretary Says There's An Urgent Need To Increase The Supply

Chief Secretary of Karnataka, P Ravi Kumar said that urgent requirement of oxygen was communicated to the Union government even on April 30th before the Chamarajanagar tragedy struck.

Representational Image (Source: AFP)

Bengaluru: On Monday it was reported that 24 patients including COVID-19 patients had died at Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) due to oxygen shortage since the previous day. 

The number increased when hospitals in Bengaluru also sent of SOS calls telling them about the low oxygen supply and based on the numbers given by the Karnataka government it is only likely to increased if the cases do not decrease.

Across the country there is shortage of oxygen as the sudden surge of Covid cases hit the existing healthcare system like tsunami. Its impact is not showing in Karnataka as well.

Chief Secretary of Karnataka, P Ravi Kumar said that urgent requirement of oxygen was communicated to the Union government even on April 30th before the Chamarajanagar tragedy struck when the State Health and Family Welfare Department wrote to the Centre. 

According to The News Minute report, six private manufacturers in the state have a combined capacity to produce 825 tonnes of medical oxygen per day out of which Karnatka is allotted 300 tonnes per day. As the cases began to increase, the state wrote to the Union government and the allocation was increased to 865 tonnes per day now 675 tonnes was from liquid oxygen produced in Karnataka and the rest was diverted from other states.

The chief secretary said that around 140 tonnes of medical oxygen is being diverted from oxygen plants in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

“But we will need 1792 tonnes per day, and we have informed the Union government,”  Kumar told TNM. He added, “The problem is that not only are patients increasing, but the requirement for oxygen also is increasing.” He also said that while supply of medical oxygen faces a shortage, there are logistical issues and other distribution problems. 

 

Hospitals are now directed to inform atleast 48 hours in advance so that the state can make other arrangements. 

 

“We don't have enough oxygen, so logistically it's tough. These hospitals that are running out of oxygen depend on cylinders. Earlier they used to fill a cylinder once in three days. Now they have to fill it three times in a day. And even this filling takes time. Even if a tanker goes from Bengaluru to Ballari (where most plants are situated), it takes four to five hours to fill the tankers and then it has to travel back to Bengaluru,” he told TNM.

“We (the government) do not produce oxygen, we are only facilitating the supply,” he said. The haven't received any reponse from the Union government about their request.

On April 3, Karnataka has 4,44,734 COVID-19 patients.