INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
With India consistently reporting over 90,000 daily cases of COVID-19 in the past few days, shortages of oxygen are
becoming increasingly apparent
With India consistently reporting over 90,000 daily cases of COVID-19 in the past few days,
shortages of medical oxygen are becoming increasingly apparent
The fact that the novel coronavirus has now spread to rural areas as well, as seen from a nationwide sero-survey, only serves to heighten
these concerns.The Centre as well as various state governments have expressed concern on this issue in the past few days
The ministry also held a meeting with the DPIIT Secretary, Pharmaceuticals Secretary and the Health Secretaries and Industries Secretaries
of the above-mentioned seven states to discuss ways to ensure adequate oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities and unrestricted
also acknowledged that the state is facing a shortage of oxygen, but added that the authorities are working towards addressing the
shortage.Here is a look at how such shortfalls can pose severe challenges to India's fight against COVID-19.Why oxygen supply for COVID-19
patients is vitalOn Monday, health minister Harsh Vardhan told Parliament that till now, oxygen therapy was required for 5.8 percent of the
reported cases, while intensive care was required in 1.7 percent cases
Earlier, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria also cited oxygen therapy and the use of steroids as the two COVID-19 treatment methods that appear
to be working.It is little surprise that the demand for medical oxygen has shot up during the pandemic
According to BBC, hospitals and care centres were consuming up to 1,300 tonnes of oxygen every day, compared to 900 tonnes per day before
At present, with the country reporting even more cases per day, the demand is likely to be even higher.But ensuring the supply of oxygen is
a steep task, particularly in rural areas, where health infrastructure is weaker.As an article by Bloomberg Quint notes, there are several
mechanisms to supply medical oxygen
In places which have better-developed health infrastructure, liquid oxygen is filled into large tanks built into the ground and then
supplied through a network of pipelines to the patient's bed
However, this requires a network of pipelines for this purpose, which is often not available in small towns and villages and cannot be
constructed in a short period of time
At such places, medical establishments rely on either 'jumbo' oxygen cylinders or smaller ones which can be used for individual patients.A
guideline by the National Health Mission notes several challenges in the use of oxygen cylinders, but states that this is the most adaptable
method in short-term and emergency situations
It states that piped supply to hospitals is a "far better, cheaper, safer method than supply through cylinders", but adds that it needs
infrastructure such as pipelines and a storage tank
On oxygen cylinders, the guideline, states, "It is a labour intensive, logistically challenging, unsafe, unhygienic (chances of carrying
infection from hospital) and expensive method."A Firstpost report on the situation in Maharashtra's Palghar sheds some light on just how
'labour intensive' and 'logistically challenging' such cylinders can be
The jumbo cylinders are just over four feet in height and weigh about 50 kilos when they are empty
The report quotes a hospital employee as stating that carrying the cylinders from one place to another is 'back-breaking' work and two
people are needed for it.This only adds to the several inadequacies of medical facilities in rural areas, that have existed prior to the
coronavirus pandemic as well
People in villages also have to contend with a health care system characterised by shortages of doctors, lack of medical supplies and other
infrastructure, as per the Economic Survey for 2018-19.Deaths due to 'oxygen shortages'Across the country, there have been several instances
where low or delayed oxygen supply may have contributed to coronavirus patients' deaths, according to media reports
However, authorities have denied that the deaths occurred due to inadequate oxygen supply.Four patients died at a hospital in Madhya
Pradesh's Dewas last week following a shortage of oxygen cylinders, as per an NDTV report
This was after neighbouring Maharashtra limited the supply of oxygen to Madhya Pradesh
The report quoted a medical officer as saying that the deaths were not due to a delayed oxygen supply
The official, however, claimed that there was 'miscommunication' while loading cylinders headed for the district from Bhopal, which may have
caused a crisis.But it's not just the absence of oxygen supply but also low oxygen pressure that can cause deaths
In May, doctors at a Mumbai hospital alleged that 12 people died in two weeks there because of this reason
A Mumbai Mirror report had quoted a resident doctor as saying that 15 oxygen supply machines in a 25-bed ICU showed 'Low O2 pressure.' While
the medical superintendent of the hospital admitted that there was a shortage of oxygen, she denied that there had been any death due to
this reason.Administrative responsesAs the demand for medical oxygen spirals, several states have begun taking measures to meet the
In Maharashtra, several districts are in the process of installing their own oxygen generation plants to cut dependence on suppliers
These districts include Osmanabad, Beed, Nandurbar and Pune, according to The Indian Express
The state government has also directed suppliers to ensure that 80 percent of the supplies go to hospitals, and only a maximum of 20 percent
Earlier, about 40 percent of the oxygen supply was diverted for industrial supply.In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
has said that the Centre has agreed to supply 50 tonnes of oxygen per day to the state.In the wake of a rise in respiratory disease cases,
Madhya Pradesh needs 110 tonnes of oxygen per day, a release from the state public relations department said.Chouhan has also asked oxygen
plants in Madhya Pradesh to increase their production to full capacity from the present 50 to 60 percent.The Gujarat health department has
also directed oxygen manufacturing units to ramp up production to maximum capacity and ensure that 50 percent of it is "medical oxygen"
meant for hospitals.There are around 53 licenced medical oxygen-producing units and the notification has been issued as a precautionary
measure to ensure that people of Gujarat do not face a shortage of oxygen, commissioner of state Food and Drugs Control Administration
supply of medical oxygen for the hospitals.Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has said, "There is no shortage of medical oxygen in
The success or failure of these efforts will determine how soon the country can tide over the pandemic, and how many critically ill patients
can be saved.With inputs from PTI
