Bengaluru: Deputy CM Ashwath Narayan averts major tragedy by ensuring timely oxygen supply to hospital

Bengaluru: A major disaster that could have spelled doom to many lives due to shortage of oxygen at KC General Hospital in Malleshwaram was averted by the timely action taken by Deputy Chief Minister Dr C.N.Ashwatha Narayana and alertness exhibited by Dr. Renuka Prasad, who was monitoring the oxygen supply vertical in the hospital.

The hospital has an oxygen storage tank of six-ton capacity and, by late night on Wednesday, barely 0.5 tons was remaining. About 200 patients were being treated in oxygenated beds. The oxygen supply which was supposed to come from a private company from Bellary (ProxAir) did not arrive. This aroused anxious moments in the staff of the hospital and then Dr. Renuka Prasad apprised Ashwatha Narayana of the severity of the situation.

Narayana, sensing the gravity of the situation, identified another private company (Universal Company) located in Dabaspete on the Bengaluru- Pune National Highway (NH 48), at a distance of about 50 km from the city, where the oxygen was available. He ordered the company to provide 20 jumbo cylinders. The company responded positively and agreed to send an oxygen tanker to the hospital.

Ashwath Narayan, who heads the Covid Task Force, alerted the traffic police to ensure zero traffic on the way from Dabaspete to the hospital.

The oxygen tank was refilled to 5.5 tons that is about 90% of the storage capacity, by 5 a.m on Thursday early hours. Had the oxygen not arrived it could have ended in Chamarajanagar-type of tragedy .

The staff of the hospital also played a crucial role throughout the night by monitoring the oxygen requirements of the patients. Till the oxygen arrived they managed with the limited available oxygen by analyzing the requirement individually.

The Task Force head who himself took the lead in this timely action stayed awake till 4.30 a.m. The decision which was taken by Ashwatha Narayana quite a few months back to assign the monitoring of each of the sections of the hospital to various medical officers also came in handy. The Deputy CM also commended the efforts of the staff of the hospital.