Shortage of Oxygen: Lucknow Hospitals Turn Away Patients

The second ‘Oxygen Express’ will leave from Lucknow on Wednesday night to fill up liquid oxygen from Jharkhand.

Image of oxygen pipe used for representational purpose.

(Image Courtesy: IANS)

Amid the COVID surge in Uttar Pradesh, its capital Lucknow is now reportedly facing a shortage of oxygen cylinders. Notices have been put up in at least two hospitals declaring the lack of medical oxygen and patients have been asked to visit other centres.

Mayo hospital announced that they were ensured 400 oxygen cylinders however the supply centre has not been able to deliver on the assurance. In one of the notices, the Mayo Medical Centre stated that they had oxygen left for only 15 minutes.

However, speaking to The Quint, the hospital authorities clarified that they had somehow managed to obtain oxygen to last a few hours. But the need for more oxygen cylinders remains urgent.

Make Well Hospital and Trauma Center also put up a notice regarding the same and asked patients to visit other facilities.

Photo: Accessed by The Quint

While speaking to The Quint, the hospital authorities claimed that they had not received any assurance from the UP administration even though the situation had gotten worse.

Mohanlalganj MLA Kaushal Kishore spoke to two oxygen supply centre owners and was told that a drug inspector had asked them to not provide oxygen to private hospitals.

However, the drug inspector refuted the claim, following which Kishore appealed to oxygen supply centres to provide oxygen to both private and government hospitals, without being compelled by any drug inspector or local authority.

Manager of one of the oxygen refilling stations in Lucknow, Akash Kumar said the demand for oxygen cylinders has gone up by 80 percent. We are currently providing 600-700 oxygen cylinders per day but the demand has crossed 1,200, reported India Today.

Oxygen refilling centres near Talkatora and Nadarganj in Lucknow also witnessed massive crowds who had come to procure liquid medical oxygen (LMO) cylinders.

At least three states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and now Uttar Pradesh, have sought the assistance of Indian Railways for delivering LMO through ‘Oxygen Express’ trains.

A railway ministry official said that the second ‘Oxygen Express’ carrying around seven to eight empty tankers will leave from Lucknow on Wednesday night to fill up LMO from Bokaro, Jharkhand.

(With inputs from ANI and India Today)