Oxygen Scarcity and COVID‑19: Lessons Learned During the May–June 2021 Peak, Karnataka, India

Oxygen is a most essential medical gas. This report shows the observations during the second wave of oxygen management in Karnataka, India, where there was an unprecedented rise in COVID‑19 cases during May–June 2021. The state was allocated 731 metric tons against the actual requirement 1200 (63%). While there were several bottlenecks in the production, filling, transportation, and refilling, there were issues with supply‑chain management, which led to the death of 24 patients on life‑support in a district. The pandemic showed fragility in existing supply chain management and warrants further streamlining to address future crises.