KAKINADA: Clients undergoing treatment in private medical facilities are struggling for oxygen and family members say the healthcare facility managements are not providing oxygen even though they are charging heavily.Private hospitals state they are dealing with an extreme scarcity of oxygen and are defenseless.

Officials keep there is no shortage of oxygen and they are meeting the requirements of medical facilities as soon as the latter make indents.

East Godavari District Collector D.

Muralidhar Reddy said that oxygen was being supplied to the patients in requirement and that they have enough stocks in the district.

When the healthcare facilities seek oxygen, they need to turn over empty cylinders, but they are refraining from doing that.

Health centers need to fully use the stocks with them and not look for new replenishments without returning empty cylinders.

Joint Collector G Lakshmisha who is supervising the supplying oxygen to the health centers said that there is a requirement of oxygen at 30-kilo litres daily in the district and that there 33.8 kilolitres are offered in the district.However, the main variation is disputed by former MLA of Rajamahendravaram and YSRC city organizer, Akula Satyanarayana, who is himself a medical physician.

He blamed it on the authorities for not meeting the need for oxygen in health centers.

He asked if there was no deficiency of the oxygen, the officials must release it to the free market as the Covid-19 situation is getting worse every day and oxygen demand was mounting.

The authorities ought to guarantee enough reserve stocks at hospitals to meet any scenario.

Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Association (APCLA) state president Muppalla Subba Rao said that at present the state, as well as the country, remained in a health emergency situation and the Chief Minister Y.S.

Jagan Mohan Reddy must shift focus from welfare plans to consisting of the pandemic by approving more funds.

He stated the federal government should make efforts to totally fulfill the spiralling oxygen demand in the state.