The National Trauma Center is facing a shortage of oxygen and has appealed for help with the rising risk of running out of supply.
The pressure of the patients has spiked in Trauma Center after turning it into one of the COVID-19 hospitals, however, due to the quota assigned by the government is insufficient, the problem has been aggravated.
The government has assigned 200 cylinders for the Trauma Center.
“We need 300 to 350 cylinders per day for 200 beds. The quantity of cylinders assigned by the government, without reviewing the requirement of the hospital is not enough. Thus, creating the shortage,” said Arjun Prasad Bhetuwal, Spokesperson at the National Trauma Center.
The assigning of quotas without proper review of inflow of COVID-19 patients across all hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley is creating the problem of shortage of oxygen.
Currently, there are 10 patients in ICU ventilators, 95 in the general ward with oxygen, and 10-15 in stretchers in the Trauma center. For that, 80-100 cylinders per day are needed.
“We have reached a very difficult situation- the lack of oxygen and cylinders is posing a threat to the life of the critical COVID-19 patients. We have to wait and stand in queue for a long time until we receive another badge,” he added.
“Just now, we procured 11 cylinders from the Shankar Oxygen Pvt. Ltd, otherwise, we would have run out of the oxygen supply in the next two hours. The situation is grim; we have to stay in the queue for the cylinders,” said Bhetuwal.
He further said that many patients would be relieved if the oxygen stored by the people in their homes was taken out.
After the appeal, the famous Nepali scientist, Maha Bir Pun has supported 10 oxygen cylinders and Rabi Lamichhane, a journalist with 5 cylinders to the center.
Source : THE RISING NEPAL,
