Coronavirus: COVID-19 cases have been rising in Delhi
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi late on Saturday night said it had medical oxygen left to last only about 45 minutes to an hour. The oxygen tanker arrived at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital late at night, news agency ANI reported.
"Sir Ganga Ram Hospital received 5 MT oxygen at 4:15 am. Should last 11-12 hrs. Oxygen running in full pressure after long time," a spokesperson of the hospital said.
A private medical facility in Delhi's Uttam Nagar, Gandhi Hospital, also sent out an SOS for oxygen, saying they had about an hour's supply of oxygen left.
It was the fourth time Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had sent an SOS for medical oxygen in less than 24 hours. Sources said alarms began to ring in the ventilator and bipap machines, used to pump air into the lungs of critical patients.
The lives of over 100 patients were at risk, sources have said. They said only 500 cubic meters of oxygen were left, enough to last 45 minutes to an hour.
The doctors and nurses started manual ventilation in Ganga Ram Hospital, till at least one tanker arrived at the facility.
At half past midnight, Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha tweeted a vehicle carrying oxygen is en route to Ganga Ram Hospital.
"A cryogenic vehicle carrying reserve liquid oxygen is about to reach Ganga Ram Hospital, cater to the interim need until full supply comes. Yet another all nighter for Team Kejriwal so that Delhi doesn't gasp for breath," Mr Chadha tweeted.
Alisha Gandhi of the hospital in Uttam Nagar tweeted, "Emergency SOS! 60+ lives at stake at Gandhi Hospital, Uttam Nagar. Please help!"
"We are trying to arrange oxygen somehow. We have also asked the local police for help," Ms Gandhi told NDTV on phone just before midnight on Saturday.
"We have over 60 patients and we are left with 1-2 hours of oxygen and we have exhausted multiple options of gathering oxygen. Please help," Gandhi Hospital director Dr Pawan Gandhi said.
Around 12:45 am, Alisha Gandhi said help is also on the way for the hospital. "(BJP leader) Tajinder Bagga has helped arrange 20 cylinders and Delhi Police are helping to arrange more at Paramount plant. My sister is coordinating at the plant with the DM," Ms Gandhi told NDTV.
The surge in Covid cases in recent weeks have led to what is now being called a deadlier second wave of the pandemic. Social media is full of stories of desperate people trying to find oxygen or a hospital bed for their friends and family.
More and more people this time are complaining of breathlessness, which needs oxygen support. However, the supply of oxygen has become severely limited due to the sudden jump in demand across cities and towns.