Around 50 patients, including those who tested positive for the coronavirus and are on oxygen support, at the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), were shifted to various hospitals in Bengaluru on Monday night as the medical facility was short of oxygen supply.
Visuals showed patients rushed out of KIMS Hospital in ambulances late on Monday night. 45 ambulances were arranged to shift the patients after hospital authorities decided they would no longer wait for the liquid oxygen supply and begin shifting the patients out to other government hospitals.
Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar tweeted that as soon as he came to know about the shortage of oxygen at the KIMS, a private hospital, directions were issued to shift patients by ambulance to Victoria, Bowring and Rajiv Gandhi hospitals in the city. For the treatment of critical patients, 20 oxygen cylinders have been sent to the KIMS, Sudhakar said.
ಕಿಮ್ಸ್ ಖಾಸಗಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆಕ್ಸಿಜನ್ ಕೊರತೆ ಇರುವುದು ನನ್ನ ಗಮನಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ರೋಗಿಗಳನ್ನು ವಿಕ್ಟೊರಿಯಾ, ಬೌರಿಂಗ್ & ರಾಜೀವ್ ಗಾಂಧಿ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗೆ ರವಾನಿಸಲು ಅಂಬುಲನ್ಸ್ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಗಂಭೀರ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ರೋಗಿಗಳ ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆಗೆ 20 ಭಾರೀ ಗಾತ್ರದ ಆಕ್ಸಿಜನ್ ಸಿಲಿಂಡರ್ ಗಳನ್ನು ಕಿಮ್ಸ್ ಗೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.
— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) August 17, 2020
According to officials, nearly 50 patients, including those with COVID-19, have been shifted.
KIMS said in a statement that due to shortage of liquid oxygen from the manufacturing company, authorities were informed about the situation and requested for arrangements of liquid oxygen from other suppliers.
"We have anticipated that low oxygen volume hypoxic crisis may occur for oxygen dependent patients," it said. "For damage control and on precautionary measures, we plan to shift all oxygen-dependent patients to various government and private hospitals.
"During this crisis, all government officials and authorities immediately responded to our call and supported us by joining hands with the management for saving the lives of the patients. We are indebted for their kind cooperation," it added.
Hospital officials became concerned after the appointed contractor failed to deliver the oxygen for two days, Times of India reported.