Covid and corruption: Oxygen prices balloon in Lahore black markets

Sources report a 100 percent increase in gas rates, mostly affecting patients under home-care

LAHORE:

As the novel coronavirus grips local healthcare systems, the city’s many black markets appear to have found an opportunity to place extortionate markups on oxygen prices.

Informal vendors, seeing the growing demand, have spiked oxygen rates across Lahore, putting many oxygendependent patients in the midst of a burgeoning crisis. Although Covid-19 patients under hospital care have access to a routine supply of oxygen, it is mostly patients under home-care who have had to procure the life-sustaining gas at double the price. Per sources, refilling a three-foot oxygen cylinder would cost approximately Rs150 before the black market hikes.

But now, the same cylinder costs at least Rs300. Moreover, refilling a bigger, seven-foot cylinder which once costed around Rs700, today costs a steep price of Rs2, 000. “Patients with severe respiratory illnesses like Covid-19 need a supply of oxygen to assist breathing, especially in winter months. Hence doctors advice people under home-care to keep oxygen cylinders at their houses,” the source informed. Speaking in the same vain, Nabi Malik, an oxygen dealer in Lahore said that he has also observed an increase in stock-piling of oxygen in the last few days.

“Most vendors have also hiked their prices, in a bid to maximise profits during increased demand, without any fear for god,” he told lamentingly. With public healthcare facilities full to the brim amid pandemic’s secondwave and private hospitals charging between Rs50, 000 to Rs150, 000 per day, most patients have little choice but to opt for treatment at home, per doctor recommendations.

“There’s a great risk of developing cross-infections at government hospital, since they have insufficient facilities. Whereas seeking treatment at a private hospital is too heavy on the pocket for most people to afford. So keeping an oxygen cylinder at home, albeit acquired at a black market rate, and visiting the doctor as and when needed, is still much cheaper than being admitted to a private hospital,” said an attendant of a recently diagnosed coronavirus patient.

According to University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Akram, an emergency was imposed across Punjab hospitals, in wake of the coronavirus second-wave. But for some reason, the number of patients in hospitals so far has remained relatively lower than what it was during the first-wave, which almost paralysed the healthcare system.

“Oxygen is an integral part of Covid-19 treatment, so all hospitals are maintaining a steady supply. Private vendors however, are trying to make bank on the pandemic by black marketing oxygen tanks at extortionate prices. The trend is same as what was seen with dengue kits and will likely continue until provision of a vaccine,” he told. Speaking in the regard Ameeruddin Medical College and Hospital’s Principal Prof Fareed Zafar, said that presently three companies are supplying oxygen to the General Hospital, where most admitted patients are not faced with any such issues.

“The government had placed section 144 against price hikes during the first wave. Oxygen supply to factories was suspended and was limited to healthcare systems, which helped keeping oxygen prices stable.