Covid-19 crisis: In Bengaluru, acute shortage of oxygen hits VVIPs and commoners alike

India is gasping — a nation, ravaged by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, is finding it hard to breathe. Hospitals are running out of medical oxygen cylinders. The situation in Bengaluru is no exception in this tragic scenario.

The city is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and, along with it, a shortage of hospital beds with oxygen facility. Placards with 'No Bed' written on them have become a familiar sight outside many private hospitals.

Are commoners the only sufferers? Not really. According to a The Times of India report, the problem of oxygen shortage is so acute that VVIPs, including ministers, celebrities, bureaucrats and even healthcare professionals are suffering. The agony forces them to frantically call the Chief Minister's Office and the Health Ministry office, only to be left disappointed.

One example will perfectly highlight the seriousness of the crisis. Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy recently tested positive for Covid-19. He tried to book a bed in Manipal Hospital, but he failed. Later, he managed to secure a bed in Apollo Hospital.

Read: Desperate daughter runs around for ICU bed for 63-year-old father, BBMP says all full

A senior minister in the Karnataka cabinet reportedly procured an oxygen cylinder for one of his relatives with extreme difficulty. The relative was initially treated at home as no private hospital was ready to admit him, as per the minister. Later, they shifted the relative to a hospital in Mysuru.

Celebrities have taken to social media to express their grievances and the difficulty in securing treatment for their close ones.

Black marketing of Remdesivir has plagued the country, forcing both commoners and celebrities alike to shell out enormous amounts to procure the drug. One Kannada movie star reportedly paid Rs 50,000 for one Remdesivir injection.

Also read: Bengaluru: Are BBMP’s Covid helplines working?

Sandalwood actor Anirudh told a TV channel that apart from oxygen and beds, the city is also facing an acute shortage of specialist doctors.

A senior bureaucrat, who works closely with CM B S Yediyurappa, endured a horrid experience. He tried to find a bed for his mother-in-law, but was sent back by the hospital. Later, her oxygen levels dipped, and after making numerous phone calls, she found a bed in a private hospital.

Amid such a crisis, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar has said vaccination for the age group of 18-45 years will not begin from May 1 in Bengaluru and the rest of the state, as earlier announced.

Read more: Hamstrung by short sales window, Bengaluru's vegetable, flower traders brace for big losses

While Serum Institute of India manufactures 5-6 crore vaccine doses, Bharat Biotech manufactures 1-1.25 crore doses a month. Russia's Sputnik V, which will be manufactured by Dr Reddy's, is yet to come.