For the fourth day in a row, India has set an unwelcome world record for new coronavirus (COVID-19) infections, with 349,691 more cases in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, and another 2,767 lives lost.
The BBC’s Vikas Pandey reports from the capital Delhi, where hospitals are overwhelmed and people are desperate.
Miracles are what many families in Delhi are left to rely on. Most hospitals are full and many of them are refusing new admissions owing to the uncertainty over oxygen supply.
Oxygen-equipped ambulances are in short supply and it’s becoming difficult for families to transport patients to hospitals even if they find a bed.
That’s how Delhi is functioning at the moment. Friends are calling friends but it’s almost impossible to find a hospital bed here now. Oxygen cylinders and medicines are in short supply. On Saturday, Saroj Hospital and Batra Hospital told families to take their patients away as they were running out of oxygen.
The city has been reporting more than 24,000 cases daily in the past few days. The hospitals are completely overrun, and healthcare workers are exhausted.
Dr A. Fathahudeen, who is part of Kerala state’s Covid task force, says the crisis is unprecedented and doctors can’t do much if oxygen supply is not guaranteed.
“You need high-pressure liquid oxygen for the smooth functioning of ventilators and bi-pap machines. When the pressure drops, the machines fail to deliver adequate oxygen into the lungs, and the consequences can be fatal,” he says.
He adds that oxygen is one of the major treatments to stabilise the patient, allowing doctors’ time to assess them and plan a future course of treatment.
Dr Fathahudeen says urgent measures are needed as patients are dying without getting the treatment they require.
“The Indian army is one of the finest in the world to build makeshift hospitals and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds within a short span of time. They should be roped in,” he adds.
The situation is not very different in other cities, including Pune, Nashik, Lucknow, Bhopal, Indore and Allahabad, as the second Covid wave devastates the country.
India reported 349,000 cases on Friday – a record daily spike. It reported 2,767 deaths. But experts say the actual numbers are likely to be much higher. -BBC
