Doctors across Ahmedabad are facing a severe shortage of disposable accessories which oxygenate patients′ blood during the medical procedure when the lungs fail to work and keep the patient alive. 

Experts stated that oxygenators are a vital component of heart-lung machines used for open-heart surgeries. These oxygenators are mostly imported from the US and European countries. According to them, the ongoing Ukraine crisis and the prolonged shutdown in China, which is a major supplier of raw materials for disposable has adversely affected the supply. 

Experts also stated that there is a shortage of other disposables, such as intra-aortic balloon pumps and catheters, in addition to oxygenators. The doctor and hospitals are trying their best to ensure supply from the suppliers that were available across India.

The open-heart surgeries on children with congenital heart issues went down drastically from 126 to 56 in the last month. Hence, they had requested the government to take action and help to ensure the required supply. (ETHealthWorld, July 12, 2022)