Eight people, including a doctor, died at Delhi’s Batra Hospital on Saturday after the facility ran out of medical oxygen – for the second time in the space of a week – at 11.45 am.
Six of the eight were admitted to the hospital’s ICU (intensive care unit) and two to the wards. The doctor who died has been identified as Dr RK Himthani, the head of the Gastroenterology unit.
Hospital officials told the Delhi High Court – holding a 11th straight day of hearings into a crisis triggered by a massive wave of Covid infections – that 230 people were without oxygen for 80 minutes.
“We ran out of oxygen at 11.45 am. Supply came at 1.30. We were out of oxygen for 1 hour and 20 mins,” the hospital told the court.
“We hope no lives were lost,” the court responded, to which the hospital said: “We have… including one of our own… one doctor.”
