Mumbai: On Wednesday evening, a text message from medical oxygen suppliers in Panvel about a possible shortage of oxygen cylinders sent local hospitals in a panic mode, also forcing some to limit their patients’ oxygen flow to maximize their use. While the Panvel crisis was resolved by Thursday, hospitals in districts and taluka places across Maharashtra said the shortage of oxygen was acute on some days.
Dr. Ajinkya Bhandari, director of Polaris Hospital in Kharghar, said the three main suppliers catering to the area admitted they had run out of cylinders on Wednesday and stocks wouldn’t be available till the next day. “All COVID hospitals panicked as up to 50% of the patients are on oxygen support. We finally decided to reduce the oxygen flow by 2litre/per minute for a few non-critical patients so that a cylinder could last longer,” he said. The hospital with 30 COVID beds requires an average of 40-45 jumbo cylinders a day, which it received on Thursday morning.
At Nirmaya Hospital in Kharghar, a 55-bed COVID facility, the situation was similar where over 60 percent of patients were on oxygen support. Dr. Amit Thadhani, who owns the hospital, told suppliers they made frenzied calls. “Hospitals are crowded with vital patients and it could become a matter of life and death to run out of oxygen,” he said.
“Many fly-by-night operators to have sprung up. Importantly, the cost of oxygen cylinders has increased by nearly 60% over the last three months,” he said. Dr. Bhandari added a jumbo cylinder that used to cost Rs 390 now costs Rs 420 and could further go up to Rs 550. Dr. Wankhedkar said the cost in the interior region is already more than Rs 600.
Sanjay Joshi of Shubh Gases said that the oxygen shortage was at the level of the manufacturer. “Oxygen prices have become like share market and change every day. Suppliers like us are not increasing the prices. It’s more at the level of manufacturers and refillers.”