Covid-19: Demand for oxygen rises again as ICU cases spike in Karnataka

Over a seven-day period, the number of Covid-19 patients requiring ICU beds in Karnataka has jumped by 62%, from 204 cases on March 28 to 331 as of Sunday. The spike is pushing up the demand for oxygen.

In Bengaluru Urban, the rise of ICU cases was even higher at 100%, from 79 to 158. On Monday, the number of such cases in the city rose to 164. Statewide, there were 345 cases.

As per official data, at the height of the pandemic in September 2020, when the state was averaging about 814 ICU cases on any given day, the statewide demand for oxygen was nearly 600 metric tonnes per day — up from 450 metric tonnes per day in August.

‘Significantly less’

The current demand was described by one senior officer as being “significantly less”. Exact figures were unavailable by the time of going to print. However, several Covid-19 hospitals, oxygen generators plus suppliers all warned that the demand is gradually rising again.

As per K C General Hospital in the city, which has 135 oxygenated beds for Covid-19 patients plus 50 oxygenated beds for non-Covid sufferers of Influenza Like Illness
(ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), its eight-kilolitre oxygen storage facility is running out sooner than usual.

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“Previously, the oxygen storage would require three-five days to be expended. Now, we are finding that the unit needs to be replenished every two days,” said Dr B R Venkateshaiah, Medical Superintendent, adding that the increased consumption was due to the fact that 130 of the oxygenated beds were currently occupied.

Pavan Murthy of Unity Air, one of several oxygen cylinder suppliers in the city, said that the number of cylinders being ordered has risen sharply, in comparison to January and February 2021. “Last year, we shipped out 1,500 cylinders. Since March this year, we have already shipped out about 400 cylinders,” he
said.

This trend has also been noticed by the large corporates carrying out liquid oxygen generation such as Airwater India Private. According to Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director, the company was supplying about 45 metric tonnes per day for consumption during January and February when Covid-19 cases were on the decline.

“Now, we are supplying about 53 metric tonnes per day. We are not quite at the stage of last year, at the height of the pandemic when we were supplying 70 metric tonnes. But with Covid-19 being what it is, there is no room for complacency. The demand could increase suddenly,” he said.

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The government, however, said it is not yet time to worry. “The current numbers of people requiring medical oxygen are relatively low. If they increase, we will take a call,” said Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commissioner, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The number of oxygenated Covid-19 beds in Bengaluru is sizeable, added Rajendra Cholan, Special Commissioner, BBMP. “Out of the 1,200 beds currently in operation in the city, about 70% are oxygenated,” he said.

Home use up

An oxygen facilitator and an oxygen machine supplier who caters directly to homes said there has been a 10-15% increase in the rental of cylinders and oxygen machines by households.

“Most of the units are being rented or bought not for immediate use but for use in a future emergency. People are a lot more aware now that they will need oxygen,” said Afser Ahmed of the NGO Crisis Management India.