Uttar Pradesh: Private Meerut hospital runs out of O2 at midnight, 15 critical patients shifted

MEERUT: A prominent private hospital in the city ran out of oxygen late on Saturday night, causing panic among patients and their family members. Senior administrative officials, including the chief medical officer (CMO), swung into action to arrange for oxygen cylinders.
Ambulances were rushed in to transport 15 critical patients to another private hospital in the city.
The alert on depleting oxygen at the hospital sent the family members of the patients into a frenzy as several turned up with oxygen cylinders. Later, the administration also managed to ferry 20 cylinders from the plant.
According to sources, 173 Covid-infected patients were being treated at the hospital and more than 12 were in a critical condition.
“More than 100 patients are on oxygen and that too, high flow. We have already alerted the authorities that in an hour, 17 cylinders are used and we need 409 cylinders every day but we did not get the supply. It is very difficult to work like this. We have been running around the entire day to get the supply,” said Mansi Anand, director of the hospital.
The development came hours after state chief minister Yogi Adityanath in a statement, on Saturday evening, claimed there was no shortage of oxygen and ICU beds at hospitals in the state.
“There was a shortage of oxygen at the hospital and 15 patients had to be shifted to another facility to bring the situation under control,” said CMO Mohan. Admitting to a short supply of oxygen, he claimed it would take at least one or two days before the oxygen is mobilized and the situation is brought back to normal.