In a stark reminder of how overstretched hospital care has become across Los Angeles, the Army Corps of Engineers plans to send crews to the region to upgrade the oxygen-delivery systems at a handful of aging hospitals. Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County health services director, said that the buildings’ old pipes couldn’t maintain sufficient pressure and, at times, started to freeze. Another oxygen-related problem — the chronic shortage of portable tanks — has also hampered hospitals abilities in recent days, county officials said. To discharge recovering patients as quickly as possible and free up space for other, sicker patients, hospitals often send patients home with oxygen tanks. “Running low of oxygen and oxygen tanks is an issue,” said Cathy Chidester, director of the L.A. County Emergency Medical Services Agency.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 01, 2021 22:41 UTC