Senior health officials in Jalpaiguri and some other districts of north Bengal have expressed their concerns over the increase in demand of oxygen cylinders at a time when Covid-19 cases are on the rise.

The health officials have also sounded an alert, saying some residents stock oxygen cylinders at home merely as a precaution.

Sushanta Roy, the officer on special duty deputed by the state to handle the Covid situation in north Bengal, said the demand for oxygen cylinders had increased across the globe in the wake of the pandemic and India and north Bengal were not exceptions.

“During this period, shortage of oxygen cylinders has been felt sometimes in Jalpaiguri and in some other districts of north Bengal. We have tried to find out the reason and found that some people, who are apprehensive that they might face breathing problems if infected with the contagion, have hired and kept such cylinders at the homes as a precaution. This is undesirable. They should act like responsible citizens and return the cylinders to the provider concerned so that the cylinders can come of use to patients who actually need artificial oxygen supply,” said Roy.

In Jalpaiguri town, sources said, there are a number of people who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic Covid patients and are staying in isolation at their homes.

“Many families of such patients have taken away the cylinders and are keeping it at their homes for weeks. In fact, there are instances that some families have oxygen cylinders with them even though there is no Covid patient at home. This trend of hoarding oxygen cylinders has to stop,” said a senior doctor of the town.

Sanjoy Chakraborty, secretary of Jalpaiguri Welfare Organisation — an NGO that provides oxygen cylinders on rent at a lower cost — said they have an inventory of 25 cylinders.

“But in these days, we are hardly left with one or two cylinders at our place. People are coming to us and hiring cylinders for their homes. Those who do not need them should return them to us as oxygen comes under essential supplies. Such a practice can lead to an artificial shortage of oxygen cylinders in the area,” Chakraborty said.

Some health officials are mulling a proposal to verify whether the oxygen cylinder is actually needed in a household.

“The organisations which provide the cylinders on rent have details of those who take cylinders on rent. We are thinking of asking them to check whether it is really needed or a person simply wants to stock it as a precaution. This exercise, we believe, can discourage unnecessary hoarding,” said an official.