Oxygen crisis: 25 'sickest patients' of Covid-19 die in Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital

In an SOS at around 8 am, the hospital reportedly said it had oxygen supply for two more hours with 60 more patients at life risk.

Two hours later, oxygen tankers arrived at the hospital.

Ganga Ram's Director, Medical, said in a statement which has been quoted by NDTV, "25 sickest patients have died in the last 24 hours. Oxygen will last another two hours. Ventilators and BiPAP (ventilators for invasive treatment) not working effectively.

"Resorting to manual ventilation in ICUs and Emergency. Major crisis likely. Lives of another 60 sickest patients at risk, need urgent intervention."

Though the hospital said it needed oxygen cylinders to be airlifted immediately, its top officers contradicted each other on whether all the deaths were due to the shortage of the gas.

Several states and the Centre were at loggerheads previously over the supply of oxygen, building up to the gruesome scenario in tackling Covid-19 in the country.

Many hospitals in the national capital had even reached out to the Delhi High Court seeking intervention in the oxygen crisis.

In a strong worded response, the Delhi High Court told the central government, which is receiving flak over the handling of the pandemic in 2021, that it should manage oxygen by any means to save lives.

"Beg, borrow or steal," the judges told the Centre.

Delhi on Thursday reported over 26,000 fresh infections besides 306 deaths apparently due to the virus.