Price of oxygen cylinders hiked up in Peshawar

Adding to the woes of coronavirus patients, there has been an increase in the prices of oxygen cylinders in Peshawar.

Citing shortage in supply, traders have increased the price of oxygen cylinder from Rs850 to Rs1,800.

Several markets in Peshawar, including Khyber Bazaar, Karachi Market, Hospital Road and Hayatabad have increased the price of the cylinders.

Earlier in June, on the recommendation of Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Muhammad Usman, the home department imposed Section 144 to curb hoarding and profiteering of oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, regulators and oximetres.

Kits including regulators and concentrators, which were earlier available for Rs1,500 were now being sold for up to Rs11,000. The price of oximeters also increased manifold from the earlier rate of Rs1,200 to Rs1,400.

Earlier this month, six Covid-19 patients being treated at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) in Peshawar passed away after "criminal negligence" resulted in a delayed supply of oxygen to the medical facility.

The hospital's spokesperson, Farhad Khan, confirmed that five people admitted to the KTH’s Covid-19 ward and one being treated at its intensive care unit (ICU), died because the medical facility ran out of oxygen supplies.

More than 200 patients – including nearly 100 with coronavirus – were left for hours with limited supplies of oxygen at the government-run hospital.