Covid: Oxygen and bed shortage creates panic in Amritsar

AMRITSAR: Sudden spike in the Covid-19 cases have created oxygen and hospital bed shortage in Amritsar, triggering panic among the people. Acute oxygen shortage was reported from Guru Nanak Dev Medical hospital as well as from various private hospitals.While expressing grave concern over the poor supplies of medical oxygen in the city, the managing director of Hartej Hospital, Dr H S Nagpal said that the government must ensure regular and uninterrupted supply of oxygen as its scarcity could cause further complications.Nagpal held people as well as governments for the spread of Covid 19, “We ourselves have given chance to the coronavirus to spread rapidly due to large gatherings be it political, religious and other without abiding the guidelines”. He also opined that the majority of the hospitals were not structurally fit for tacking a pandemic situation.” Most of the hospitals have single entry and exit, only few isolated beds for infected patients” he said.Sources also reported of shortage of beds in the hospitals even a denial to admit the Covid 19 patients by few hospitals.Dr. Arun Chopra Director, Cardiology, Fortis Escorts Hospital said that after a gap of nearly one year of restrictions, people had started socializing once again ignoring the Covid 19 guidelines besides pace of vaccination was also slow which had resulted in a spike in Covid 19 cases.When asked about the Oxygen and bed shortage, he said they were not facing any issue of oxygen so far and had also increased the bed capacity .”We have Oxygen bullet and back up arrangements also so there is no issue of oxygen or the beds with us” he said.Sources informed that a few hospitals were not accepting the Covid 19 patients fearing spread of the infection to other patients which could mean business losses.Meanwhile, 12 Covid 19 patients died on Monday while 342 were found to be Covid 19 p were reported on Monday. Out of these 243 were had Influenza-Like Infection while 99 were the contact persons of the Covid 19 patients. On Sunday 742 persons were found Covid 19 positive.Despite repeated attempts civil surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh didn’t pick the phone to comment on the oxygen shortage in the city.