Vizianagaram: As the gap in the demand and supply of oxygen is increasing in Andhra Pradesh, the covid patients and their family members are running from one hospital to another to save their lives.
In spite of best efforts, many lives are lost. The information about the death of two covid patients in Maharaja hospital in Vizianagaram due to a shortage of oxygen has alerted the health machinery in the state.
The incident forced the government machinery to take concrete steps to reduce the gap between demand and supply of oxygen.
Out of the 290 covid patients in Maharaja hospital, 25 patients have been in severe condition. "Two of the critical patients died due to Covid," said revenue authorities who are monitoring the situation.
Vizianagaram district collector Hari Jawaharlal visited the hospital.
Similarly, there are reported incidents of oxygen shortage in and around Vijayawada. As the cases are increasing in Krishna and Guntur districts, the authorities personally visited Covid centres. Covid designated hospitals are not admitting all patients due to an acute shortage of beds and oxygen. According to official data, 360 tonnes of oxygen available in the state at a time when demand is expected to exceed more than 400 tonnes.
Vishaka steel plant is supplying 100 tonnes of oxygen per day which is helping to meet the medical emergencies.
Tamil Nadu has refused to supply oxygen to Andhra Pradesh. In the wake of the present situation, it is not easy for the state to meet the growing demand for medical oxygen. The government machinery is looking for all the options to reduce the gap between demand and supply of oxygen.
The government of Andhra Pradesh wrote a letter to the union government to help the state with oxygen supplies. The government has also started auditing oxygen stocks on a daily basis. Each and every hospital is monitored in the state and records are thoroughly scrutinized by officials.
At present, there are 42 oxygen filling stations from where the medical oxygen is regularly supplied. From Monday onwards Covid control room will monitor the supply of medical oxygen on an hourly basis. The state authorities noticed that there is a shortage of oxygen in Vijayawada and other places.
The Deputy Chief Minister of the state, Pushpa Srivani after visiting Maharaja hospital in Vizianagaram said that the government will shift the patients to the best hospitals if there is a need.
Covid special officer of the state Krishna Babu visited one of the Covid care centres in Gudavalli in Krishna district to know the availability of beds and oxygen supplies there. He said that 15 thousand patients are being treated in the hospitals.
