Patna, Apr 15 (IANS): The mounting number of Covid cases has resulted in a shortage of oxygen supplies at several hospitals in Patna.

The city's major facilities including Patna Medical College and Hospitals (PMCH), Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) and AIIMS are full with Covid patients as a result the smaller hospitals and nursing homes are treating the non-Covid patients. But they have been facing the challenges in obtaining the oxygen cylinders from the companies.

A Medical Superintendent of a private nursing home at Raja Bazar said that his hospital has referred many patients to bigger hospitals of the city due to irregular oxygen supplies by the companies.

"We have urged the company to supply oxygen cylinders to my hospital on Tuesday and reminded it on Wednesday as well. If the company does not supply us the oxygen cylinders on a regular basis, we may terminate our contract with it," the Medical Superintendent said on the condition of anonymity.

Another doctor of a private hospital located at Saguna Mor in Danapur said: "As the beds in major hospitals are occupied at the moment, a large number of patients are in home-isolation. There is a possibility of oxygen cylinders reaching at the individual patient, the hospitals are unable to obtain cylinders and the black marketing of cylinders cannot be ruled out."

Alok Kumar, MD of Jagdish Memorial hospital in Patna had written to Patna DM Chandrashekher Singh, Civil Surgeon Vibha Kumari, Principal Secretary (Health) Pratyay Amrit and Health Minister Mangal Pandey to ensure regular supplies of oxygen cylinder in private hospitals.

Following the complaint, the DM has directed all oxygen cylinder provider companies to supply cylinders in hospitals first.

"The companies will be severely penalized if they are involved in black marketing of oxygen cylinders," the DM said.