Karnataka Has Reduced The Provision Of Medicinal Oxygen To Hospitals As Covid Cases Dropped In The State

The medical oxygen allocation for hospitals in Karnataka has been lowered by 54%, from 1,200 metric tonnes (MT) per day to 552 MT, while Covid-19 cases continue to decline.

Hospital daily use has also dropped by nearly 35%, from an all-time high of roughly 830 MT per day to 529 MT in recent days.

On June 9, the state nodal officer for oxygen delivery released a revised allocation of oxygen supply for the state, putting the total at 552 MT per day, with 180 MT going to the Bengaluru region, which was the hardest hit by the second wave of the pandemic.

The state required 830 MT of oxygen per day at the height of the crisis in May, with Bengaluru alone requiring 285 MT.

Following the intervention of the High Court, Karnataka was allowed 1,200 MT of oxygen supply as instances reached a height. However, it was only able to receive roughly 850 MT per day from within the state's suppliers.

Prior to the High Court's intervention, the state government had allocated 765 MT of oxygen to hospitals, including 252 MT set aside for Bengaluru.

Multiple deaths were reported in hospitals in the Karnataka districts of Chamarajnagar, Kalaburagi, and Kolar between April 26 and May 7 due to an alleged oxygen shortage.

Covid-19 cases have decreased dramatically across the state in the previous two weeks, and as a result, demand for oxygenated beds has decreased as well.

In Karnataka, the five-day running average of Covid 19 cases has dropped from 40,000 in mid-May to 10,000 on June 9.

Officials emphasized that the districts had a sufficient buffer store of oxygen.