Bengaluru:
Karnataka is among the many seven states which were advised by the Central authorities to verify there’s sufficient oxygen for COVID-19 sufferers. Whereas some personal hospitals have flagged a scarcity of oxygen provide, the BS Yediyurappa-led state authorities maintains there isn’t a scarcity and that it has advised suppliers to extend manufacturing, amongst others measures adopted to adjust to Sunday’s directive.
“The demand has after all gone up, however as of now there isn’t a challenge. Some scarcity was confronted by a hospital or two, however we acted instantly. We’re diverting and utilizing industrial oxygen additionally. We’re additionally sourcing from different states together with Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat,” Medical Training Minister Dr Ok Sudhakar advised NDTV.
Dr HM Prasanna, President of Non-public Hospitals and Nursing Houses Affiliation, nevertheless says some hospitals are struggling to get refills of oxygen cylinders.
“Solely huge personal hospitals in Bengaluru have sufficient oxygen; small and medium personal hospitals have been dealing with points getting refills. In Bengaluru districts headquarter, each personal and authorities hospitals are dealing with challenges in offering oxygen to sufferers,” Dr Prasanna advised NDTV.
He provides that even when oxygen provide was ample, the government-capped price of therapy for coronavirus is simply too low to stay viable as the value of oxygen cylinders has risen steeply.
“Most sufferers want excessive oxygen circulation now. Within the pre-Covid days, sufferers wanted normally lower than 10 litres of oxygen per minute – with the routine being four litres per minute. Now, they want 15 litres and extra per minute. Critically unwell sufferers should be given as a lot as 40 litres per minute,” Dr Prasanna says.
If in pre-Covid occasions, the price was Rs 18 to Rs 20 per cubic litre, it has now virtually doubled. Dr Prasanna mentioned that main distributors have elevated their prices by 40%, and added that although hospitals had turned to new suppliers, they too have been asking for as a lot as Rs 40 per cylinder.
“For personal sufferers, the federal government has mentioned we are able to cost Rs10,000 per mattress with oxygen provide and as much as Rs 12,600 whether it is high-flow. For presidency-referred sufferers, the state will reimburse Rs 5,000 per mattress and Rs 7,000 for high-flow sufferers. However these charges have been fastened primarily based on pre-Covid oxygen costs. The cap ought to be elevated now primarily based on the costs right this moment,” he advised NDTV, including that he hopes the federal government may even cap oxygen costs.
Karnataka – among the many prime 5 states with regards to the each day COVID-19 numbers and deaths – added 9,894 new coronavirus instances within the final 24 hours taking its tally to four.59 lakh; general instances in capital Bengaluru crossed 1.7 lakh, the Well being Ministry information reveals.
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