As Covid surges in India, and the numbers of cases in Nepal rise by the day, Nariyani Hospital in Parsi District, Nepal reports a serious lack of oxygen.

In the Himalayan Times it is reported that:

“Hospital staffer Akhilesh Tiwari said that their repeated pleas for oxygen and beds had gone unheeded.”

With over 300 registered climbers now on Everest and an estimated minimal allocation of 5 bottles per person, that provides over 1,500 bottles of oxygen.

With the now ubiquitous use of helicopters by Everest climbers, perhaps the charter of one to move the oxygen to where it could be immediately put to use to help save lives should be considered?

As quoted in the Times of India, Nepal doesn’t feel it has options on opening up to climbers:

“We have no other options,” said Rudra Singh Tamang, the head of Nepal’s tourism department. “We need to save the mountaineering economy.”

It would seem that well funded Everest climbers have more options. What they do with them is the question.

As what happens in Nepal is so closely linked to India, it looks like the current challenges in Nepal could well increase as reported by the BBC:

Covid: India sets global record for new cases amid oxygen shortage

If the situation worsens in Nepal, climbers may not have to look far for where their oxygen could be put to use.

Waiting in lines on the way to the South Col. As much time standing and breathing oxygen as moving and breathing.