‘Operation Oxygen’: DCM Ashwath Narayan averts major tragedy, saves 200 lives

Bengaluru: An SOS call made to Deputy chief minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan by healthcare personnel of KC General hospital here averted a major tragedy, that could have arisen due to oxygen shortage.

As many as 200 Covid-19 infected patients are being treated at the hospital. The hospital had placed an order with Proxy Air company located at Bellary for further oxygen supply and the same should have reached by 11.00 pm on Wednesday.

However, when the company’s oxygen tanker did not arrive until 11.30 pm the staff called up the authorities at Proxy Air company and came to know that the tanker had been sent to a private hospital instead.

With few hours of oxygen supply left, the issue was brought to the notice of Dr Renuka Prasad, in charge of oxygen management at the hospital. She made frantic calls to Proxy Air but there was no response. Finally, she called Deputy chief minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan who swung into action and arranged for oxygen supply, through Universal company.

As the situation was alarming, he contacted the Malleswaram police and made arrangements to supply the oxygen in a zero traffic corridor. The staff as well as the Deputy chief minister worked throughout the night to ensure that a tragedy was averted.

Speaking to reporters, Ashwath Narayan said that he was happy that a Chamrajnagar-like incident was averted here. “I worked in collaboration with police to ensure quick supply while the hospital staff attended to the patients,” he added.