Maharashtra: 22 COVID-19 Patients Die after Oxygen Leak Cuts Supply

Nashik/Mumbai, April 21: At least 22 COVID-19 patients on ventilator support died on Wednesday after an interruption in supply of medical oxygen at a civic-run hospital at Nashik in Maharashtra caused by the leakage of the gas from a storage plant, officials said.

A senior civic official said of the 150 patients admitted to the hospital, 23 were on ventilator support at the time of the incident while the rest were on oxygen support.

"As per the current information, 22 people have died due to the interrupted supply of oxygen at the Zakir Hussain municipal hospital. The patients were on ventilators as well as on oxygen supply, which was interrupted after the leakage in the oxygen supply tank," district collector Suraj Mandhare told reporters.

He said the municipal corporation immediately shifted dura cylinders from other facilities in the city to help the patients at the Zakir Hussain Hospital.

According to local officials, the oxygen leakage was noticed around 12.30 pm, following which hospital authorities were alerted. Hospital officials in turn contacted municipal commissioner Kailash Jadhav seeking technical help to stop the leakage, they said.

Mandhare said a private company looks after the maintenance of the oxygen storage tank located on the premises of the hospital.

"We have given all the information to the government. As far as the oxygen supply is concerned, the NMC has received dura cylinders from places where the consumption is less. Oxygen will be supplied to the patients from these cylinders," he said.

Divisional Revenue Commissioner Radhakrishna Game said a 13 KL (kilolitre) oxygen tank was set up on the premises of the hospital, located in Dwarka area in the north Maharashtra city.

"Around 10 am, a socket of the oxygen storage tank broke and the leakage started. When the hospital staff came to know about it, they deployed jumbo cylinders to supply oxygen to the patients and started shifting some of the patients," he said.

Game said the leakage has been stopped, the tank repaired and the oxygen supply is being normalised.

"As the incident happened, people rushed to the hospital wards which created hurdles in the rescue operations. When this happened, an oxygen tanker reached the hospital premises. Technicians who came with that tanker and technicians at the hospital broke open the lock of the tank and closed the valve which prevented the further leakage of oxygen," Game added.

Expressing grief, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the 22 deceased, including 11 men and 11 women, died due to a low supply of oxygen caused by the leakage from the storage tank.

They all were on ventilators and COVID-19 positive, he said, adding the kin of the deceased will be given financial assistance from the CM relief fund, which will be announced by the chief minister's office.

Commenting on the leakage from the oxygen tank, Tope said: "The liquid oxygen which was filled in the tank has the temperature of around (minus) 180-degree celsius. There is extreme pressure on the walls of the tank which supplies the oxygen to patients on ventilators. It is more of a technical issue".

Tope said a probe would ascertain whether the leakage was caused due to negligence or due to any other issue.

Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioner Kailas Jadhav said no patient was in a serious condition now.

"Out of the 150 patients admitted in the hospital, 23 were on ventilator support at the time of the incident while the rest were on oxygen supply," he said. Jadhav said the oxygen level was around 25% in the storage tank at the time of the incident.

Sources said two oxygen tanks were recently set up at the hospital and the task of maintaining the oxygen storage and maintenance had been given to a private company.

They also said the incident occurred when oxygen was being filled in one of the tanks from a tanker, which disturbed the supply to the patients who were on ventilators as well as to those dependent on oxygen for breathing.

Leela Shelar, who lost her 60-year-old mother in the tragedy was inconsolable.

"My mother was admitted in the hospital on Tuesday and was put on ventilator support," she said.

Shelar claimed as her mother complained of difficulty in breathing she requested the nursing staff to help, but they didn't pay heed.

"I didn't admit my mother here to die like this," she said while fighting back her tears.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has expressed deepest condolences to the family members of patients.

Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in India both in terms of the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities.

The state on Tuesday reported 62,097 fresh infections, taking the tally to 39,60,359, while 519 more patients succumbed to the infection, as per the state health department.