Kanpur: Shortage of oxygen triggers panic at Lala Lajpat Rai hospital

KANPUR: Following shortage of oxygen cylinders, chaotic situation prevailed at the emergency and other blocks of Lala Lajpat Rai hospital after patients started complaining of breathlessness on Thursday. The supply was restored following arrangements of oxygen cylinders from other blocks.

According to the hospital sources the situation had become grave at medicine, neuro-surgery, anaesthesia departments and Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“Panic-stricken attendants of patients alerted the doctors on duty about the patients’ breathing problem, who in turn apprised the senior LLR officials. Later, reserve oxygen cylinders from neuro-science centre and orthopaedic were pressed into service. And efforts were made to maintain the supply of oxygen with the support of the hospital staff,” said sources.

Senior officials, meanwhile, on Friday went into damage-control mode, telling the media that the crisis occurred following delay in supply of oxygen cylinders by a private gas agency and that the LLR administration has nothing to do with the crisis.

Chief superintendent of LLR, Prof RK Maurya, however, said, “We have issued a notice to the supplier of the concerned oxygen gas agency in this regard, and if he/she failed to give a satisfactory reply, an FIR would be lodged against them following a probe.”

To recall, at least 64 children had died at BRD Medical college in Gorakhpur following oxygen shortage in August 2017.