Oxygen Scarcity and COVID-19: Lessons Learned During the May-June 2021 Peak, Karnataka, India.

ABSTRACT

SUMMARY: Oxygen is a most essential medical gas. This report shows the observations during the second wave of oxygen management in Karnataka, India, where there was an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases during May-June 2021. The state was allocated 731 metric tons against the actual requirement 1200 (63%). While there were several bottlenecks in the production, filling, transportation, and refilling, there were issues with supply-chain management, which led to the death of 24 patients on life-support in a district. The pandemic showed fragility in existing supply chain management and warrants further streamlining to address future crises.