City hospitals in Hyderabad, earlier were facing shortage of beds and staff but now they are running out of oxygen cylinders too, due to panic buying by people. The market has been swept clean of its stock largely by domestic users. The medical community is now considering using industrial cylinders to restock the requirement in city hospitals.

An emergency meeting was held by the state government with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), medical suppliers and Telangana Nursing Homes and Hospitals Association (TANHA), emphasizing this crisis. And the doctors proposed that the sale of oxygen cylinders, without prescription, should be stopped immediately.

State secretary of the Indian Medical Association Telangana, Dr Sanjeev Singh Yadav said that according to the suppliers there is no shortage of oxygen. The main problem is with the cylinders. Earlier, these were used for medical purposes or mountaineering (smaller cylinders) only but now individuals are buying in bulk such as 5 to 10 cylinders at once stating that they are asthma patients or they work for an NGO.

He further said that after much consideration, they have decided that to hold the supply of other products such as carbon dioxide etc. to industries and clean out the industrial cylinders and use them for supplying oxygen to hospitals. He also repeated that suppliers have been asked not to entertain people without a doctor’s prescription.

The cost of an oxygen cylinder is between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 and can go up to Rs 15,000 or more depending on its capacity. Many say that due to the shortage, few dealers are charging double the price.

Dr Sai Ravi Shanker, a senior consultant cardiologist explained that the rise in demand is at least by 10%, in spite of supplies continuing to be the same, has formed the problem. All ICU beds are almost fully occupied with COVID-19 patients resulting in increased requirements. A 7,000 litre (B type) oxygen cylinder was earlier available for Rs 4,000 and is now being sold for Rs 8,000.

T Hari Prakash, president, TANHA said that few private hospitals are observing this shortage but the problem is more severe in government hospitals as the system of placing orders is still not streamlined. Dealers are confessing the urgency is exceptional as many healthy people are approaching them for cylinders.

Mohammed Shareef from the Auto Nagar Oxygen Centre said that he gets at least 350 to 400 enquiries daily. Even people who are not infected by the coronavirus are stocking them and many people are renting them also for Rs 5,000.

Source: The Times of India