Oxygen disruption: 17 corona patients shifted in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Seventeen coronavirus patients needed to be shifted from a city hospital to other medical facilities on the intervening night of August 14 and 15 after a short circuit disrupted oxygen supply, an official said on Saturday.

"There was a short circuit in the oxygen control panel, because of which oxygen supply to the patients was disrupted," CV Raman Hospital Superintendent Radhakrishna told IANS.

The control panel is required to maintain oxygen supply pressure and other crucial parameters of a patient put on oxygen support. "Though the oxygen supply could have been continued, we did not want to take any risk... we then supplied oxygen to patients directly from cylinders," he said.

"The disruption occurred around 9 pm on Friday. The shifting of patients was done by 12.30 am on Saturday," said Ramakrishna. He said all the shifted patients were doing well.

"Whatever disruption occurred has since been fixed. The oxygen supply is back to normal," he said. It was learnt that 11 of the patients were on intake of high-flow oxygen, of which 7-8 were taking in very less amount of oxygen while three were dependent.

Following this development, senior health officials decided to make alternative arrangements for these patients at facilities where high-flow oxygen beds were available. Most of the patients were shifted to Victoria Hospital, and one patient each to Vydehi and Fortis hospitals. Though only 13 patients were on oxygen support, 17 were shifted out as some were related to each other.

Bengaluru is the epicentre of coronavirus infections in the southern state, with its total tally standing at 84,145, of which 33,432 are active.