Delhi’s Batra Hospital chief on oxygen deaths: ‘I don’t know who is running this country’

The oxygen crisis in India is worsening day by day. On Saturday, 12 patients died in the Batra Hospital in Delhi. On Monday, several patients gasped for breath in a Karnataka Covid-19 hospital.

India Today TV Consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai spoke to top experts to better understand the problem and find solutions. Excerpts:

Q: Tell us how difficult it is to run the hospital.

DR.SCL GUPTA, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, BATRA HOSPITAL, DELHI: This is one of the greatest tragedies that I have seen in my life. Patients die because we don’t have oxygen. To treat Covid-19, you will need oxygen, medication, and vaccinations. Nothing is available. The government says there is a lot of oxygen in our country. But the patients die. Judiciary or executive? I don’t know who rules this country.

What has the government done in the past 14 months? Nobody learned anything. Makeshift hospitals are not an option. They send oxygen there, but not in well-structured hospitals. Please give us oxygen through A or B or C. We shouldn’t beg for it from column to column. There must be a node officer for every 10 to 20 hospitals. During an emergency, oxygen must be available within 15 to 20 minutes so that we do not lose innocent lives.

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Q: Is Karnataka fighting too? Where is the problem?

DR.VISHAL RAO US, MEMBER, EXPERT COMMITTEE, COVID TASK FORCE, GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA: Karnataka not only has an excellent health infrastructure, but is also one of the largest producers of liquid oxygen. It sends deliveries across the country.

The problem is that the need for oxygen in Karnataka has more than doubled. This is a complex situation. The topic of logistics contributes to this. Manufacturers must increase the allocations for all states. Only then will this problem be resolved. They also need logistical support. We need green corridors for the movement of oxygen-carrying vehicles.

Q: What are the solutions?

ARUN SETHI, MEDICAL EXPERT: There is a lot of oxygen in smaller nursing homes and clinics. Data must be prepared. Important hospitals must have their own oxygen production capacity on their own. Why can’t people get oxygen on their doorstep? Why rush to the hospital when you don’t have to.

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