Hospitals across Lumbini province in Nepal are struggling to admit patients now as they all are facing an acute shortage of medical oxygen amid increasing Covid-19 patients, reported The Himalayan Times.

On Thursday, the country reported around 8900 cases for the first time. The positivity rate was recorded at 44 percent. 54 people died on the same. Many hospitals ran out of beds. 

“We had run out of beds but were still admitting new patients and treating them by even keeping them on the floor and other places,” Dr. Bishnu Gautam, the information officer at the Lumbini Provincial Hospital, was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times.

“Now that we are also facing a shortage of oxygen, there is no way we can admit more patients," he added. 

Around 600 oxygen cylinders are required daily to treat patients, he said, adding they receive just half of it.

Health experts in the country have been warning of a crisis of unimaginable scale, similar to India. The infection rate has shot up to 1200 times in recent weeks. Health care workers getting infected is another worry for them. 

“Covid prevention has been out of control. As hospitals and medical team have been overwhelmed, patients and public hopelessness are the highest [sic],” Dr. Chakra Pandey, the director of Grande International Hospital, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. 

He further added, “As we cannot keep on crying, we need to stay inside our house until things get better.”