India Coronavirus Dispatch: Why many hospitals are facing oxygen shortage

Problems in oxygen management: The centre has identified three major problem areas in the management of oxygen supply inventory that have led to a shortfall in many parts of the country. The centre held meetings with state officials over the past week to ascertain the causes of the oxygen crisis. The first problem area is the ‘less than efficient’ management of inventory at the hospital level. Hospital authorities have been asked to estimate the number of mild cases and those that will require oxygen supply. The second problem area is the knee-jerk reaction of state authorities who panicked over high