New Delhi: Eight COVID-19 patients including the head of the gastroenterology department of Batra Hospital in the national capital died due to oxygen shortage, officials said on Saturday.According to reports, six of them were on ICU on high flow oxygen.

According to LiveLaw, Batra Hospital on Saturday moved Delhi high court highlighting the issue of oxygen shortage by stating that they were left with only one hour of oxygen and that one of the oxygen suppliers had refused to deliver. “…Although the Delhi government had issued addendum for 50% oxygen has to be supplied by Goyal and Inox, however, Goyal had refused to make the supply,” the report said.

The court, thereafter, assured that the problem shall be solved immediately and contacted Goyal suppliers during the course of hearing.The court also issued a notice to liquid oxygen suppliers and asked them to create a portal for taking donations for medical equipment from people abroad.

Batra Hospital – which has 304 COVID-19 patients and about 234 patients on oxygen support – raised concerns over the WhatsApp groups made to address oxygen supply issues not proving to be useful in such dire times. 

Dr. SCL Gupta, medical director, Batra Hospital said, “We are trying to revive five other critical patients.”Hospitals across the national capital had sent out SOS messages last week about depleting supplies of oxygen.The Delhi government has maintained that the city is not getting its allocated quantity of the life-saving gas.