COVID-19 in Mumbai: Vasai-Virar hospitals in chaos due to O2 woes

Oxygen-producing machine installed at Riddhivinayak Hospital in Nalasopara. Pics/ Hanif Patel

The lack of oxygen is causing chaos at hospitals in the Vasai-Virar-Nalasopara stretch with over 2,000 COVID-19 patients needing immediate support. The workload of suppliers has also increased as they have to cover longer distances to deliver cylinders.

Doctors attached to COVID hospitals said they are forced to reduce the supply to hospitalised patients so it can be saved for emergencies. "Because of the shortage, the flow of oxygen has been reduced per patient from optimum level to sub-optimum level. The cut-off saturation of Saturation at Periphery of Oxygen, that is SPO2, should be around 95 per cent. Hospitals have brought it down to 90 per cent to maintain supply for all patients," a doctor said, adding, "This has affected recovery but we are helpless as we also need to have a healthy oxygen bank for emergencies."

Riddhivinayak Hospital in Nalasopara has installed an oxygen manufacturing unit at the hospital itself to meet the heavy demand.

Cardiologist Dr Venkat Goyal said, "The shortage of oxygen started on September 10. Its effect became visible a couple of days later. The situation became critical after September 13."

Vaibhav Vallabh Hospital in Virar West is smaller so is OK so far

"I have learnt that only 25 per cent of oxygen demand is met in Vasai-Virar. Rest are sent to other hospitals," said Goyal. "Amid COVID, our requirement is 120 oxygen cylinders daily. We invested R40 lakh and installed an oxygen generating machine at our campus. Hence, this crisis has not affected our hospital. The machine produces 110 jumbo oxygen cylinders daily," he added.

Dr Mahabali Singh, a cardiologist at Star Hospital, Nalasopara, said that getting the oxygen is a scramble for his staff. "It used to be easily available. Today, our staff has to manage amid heavy traffic to get the cylinders. It was never like this," Dr Singh said.

"Lately, the number of critical patients needing oxygen support has increased. The situation may worsen if a solution is not found soon," Dr Singh said. Star Hospital has 60 COVID beds, including 15 ICU beds. It needs nearly 300 jumbo oxygen cylinders daily.

Dr Shailesh Pathak of Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Virar said that there is a general shortage but their hospital is not very big and has only 22 COVID patients, so it is not suffering as such.

Sources said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials have told all hospitals to send a daily report of supply, consumption and balance of oxygen cylinders.

Automobile industry affected

The shortage of oxygen is affecting the automobile industry too. A businessman said that after the six-month break, the shortage of oxygen supply is hampering manufacturing. If the situation persists, he said, businesses may have to shut.

Oxygen is used as raw material in the automobile industry. Pratik Koltharkar, head of the business and operations, Morex Industrial Corporation in Goregaon, said, "Since the past few days, vendors have stopped providing us with oxygen. We use 50-60 kg of it monthly. It is good that the government is helping the patients, but they need to think about industries and their employees too. Without oxygen, we will suffer heavy losses."

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Star Hospital in Nalasopara West has 60 COVID beds

The authorities are also allegedly checking vendors' bill books to ensure that supply is made only to the health sector.

Also Read: COVID-19: Mumbai down to last 153 ICU beds and 63 ventilators

Nitin Dossa, chairman, Western Indian Automobile Association, said, "Automobile industries can recover after some time, they must understand the pandemic situation.

Let the industry shut down, patients need oxygen."

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