Noida: An order passed by chief medical officer Deepak Ohri barring private hospitals in Noida and Greater Noida from asking relatives of patients to arrange for oxygen kicked up a furore on Monday evening, leading to Ohri amending the directive late in the night.The order, and the amendment, drew criticism from doctors and residents’ groups, who said it would only add to operational confusion and create more hassles for families of Covid-19 patients.
 
Ohri’s first order barred doctors deputed at the 23 private Covid-19 care facilities in the district from seeking assistance of a patient’s attendant in procuring oxygen. The order stated, “All private doctors are directed that nobody will ask the kin or attendant of the admitted patient to get oxygen refilled as such a move only increases difficulty and causes inconvenience to everyone. Hence, all doctors are hereby directed to stop such activity.”

Doctors and residents’ groups have decided to approach officials in Lucknow after they learnt about the order. Mohita Sharma, general secretary of the Indian Medical Association (Noida chapter), said, “The objective of government officials needs to be saving as many lives as possible during this period. I am going to take this issue up with the district magistrate and senior officials. Unless the administration doubles the daily quota of oxygen that is being consumed by the hospitals treating Covid-19 patients, such a directive is difficult to follow.”

Sharma added that attendants and close relatives of the patients are asked to get loaded cylinders as the intentions of the doctors is to save the patients’ life. Many hospitals, especially those dependent on cylinders, have struggled to procure enough stock of medical oxygen as the pandemic has surged and overwhelmed hospital wards.
 

A senior executive at a Greater Noida West-based private hospital said that it takes four to five hours to get a fresh batch of cylinders after sending out SOSs to the health department. “The shortage of oxygen results in panic. We know arranging for oxygen is difficult for everyone, but collective efforts are required when things go out of hand. Patients are alerted only when we are running low on oxygen supply,” said the executive. 

Yogendra Sharma, president of the Federation of Residents’ Welfare Associations in Noida, has already sent a representation against Ohri to the state government last week. “A series of incidents have taken place in the district. Ohri has been insensitive and unavailable. The latest order will only end up in increasing the misery of patients further,” said Sharma. 

Late in the night, the amended order was released, which clarified that private hospitals have been directed to refrain from giving their own cylinders to patients’ attendants for refills. “We were getting complaints that hospitals are giving their own empty cylinders to attendants and asking them to get them refilled. This practice needs to be stopped,” Ohri said. 

“No hospital has a spare cylinder to offer it to anyone. When we have been unable to find oxygen, how can we hand over empty cylinders to attendants and expect them to get it refilled?” asked an official of a private hospital. 

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