Hospitals in the capital had expressed inability to admit more coronavirus patients as they were facing shortage of oxygen.
KATHMANDU, MAY 13
The Kathmandu District Administration Office has accused hospitals in the capital of spreading panic among the public in response to their recent statements expressing inability to take in patients owing to medical Oxygen shortage.
"The DAO's attention has been drawn towards the notices issued by a few hospitals expressing their inability to admit patients, or further treat already admitted patients due to oxygen shortage at a time when everybody is pooling in efforts to manage resources. The act of ignoring all such efforts and creating panic among public by means of such acts the name of public notice could have grave implications," the office said in the statement issued Wednesday.
It has further appealed the hospitals to act responsibly and play an effective role in mitigating the looming disaster.
On May 9, the Ministry of Health and Population had directed medical Oxygen manufacturers not to sell or distribute medical oxygen cylinders without the government's permit. Health-care facilities had raised objection over the ministry's decision reasoning the situation is already unmanageable and patients need to be given oxygen support on ad-hoc basis rather than waiting for permits to provide the same.
Issuing separate press statements on Wednesday, Norvic International Hospital, Grande International Hospital, Nepal Medical College, Medicare Hospital, Nepal Bharat Maitri Hospital, and Dirghayu Guru Hospital and Research Centre have criticised the government for providing only 100 oxygen cylinders a day per hospital. They said they would not be able to admit more COVID patients till the government increased their daily quota of medical oxygen.
