At least 100 patients are on Oxygen support at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.
Delhi's Fortis Escorts Heart Institute said today it would not admit any more patients due to shortage of medical oxygen, in an escalating crisis over Covid cases spiraling in the capital. The decision is being taken as the hospital is "out of options", it said.
"We had timely escalated this impending situation to all authorities and are waiting for promised supplies since yesterday. At the moment we are out of options and suspending new admissions and ER services till situation improves. We are trying ti manage admitted patients to the best of our abilities," the notice placed at the hospital reads.
"We got a new stock at 1 am last night but it will last till only 1pm," a hospital source told NDTV.
At least 100 patients are on Oxygen support, he said.
Later Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha, in a tweet, said that the cryogenic tanker carrying liquid oxygen reserves was on its way to the hospital.
Several hospitals have, over the past three days, flagged a crisis of oxygen supply, beds and medicines amid rising Covid cases, and many have approached the Delhi High Court for help.
"There is big human tragedy coming in next few minutes in our hospital. We have already lost 25 lives. We are gasping for oxygen. We have our Doctors before you. Please save lives. Please," Jaipur Golden Hospital which lost 25 patients due to shortage of oxygen said in its plea on Saturday.
As top hospitals in Delhi continue to send SOS messages over oxygen shortage, Mr Kejriwal last evening made an appeal to all the chief ministers in a tweet. "I am writing to all CMs requesting them to provide oxygen to Delhi, if they have spare. Though the Central government. is also helping us, the severity of corona is such that all available resources are proving inadequate," he wrote.
Delhi recorded 357 deaths in the last 24 hours, highest ever in a day. More than 24,000 fresh cases were reported. The positivity rate stood at 32.27 per cent.
With the fresh cases, the national capital's caseload has surged to over 10 lakh and the death count stands at 13,898.
The alarming spike in cases has put the city's healthcare system under tremendous pressure. Twenty-five people died on Friday night at the Jaipur Golden Hospital in Delhi due to shortage of medical oxygen, a top official at the hospital said.