Lack of oxygen claims lives of 12 Covid patients in MP’s Shahdol; official denies shortage

Oxygen starvation resulted in the deaths of 12 coronavirus patients at Shahdol Medical College in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday evening. However, the ADM has denied the lack of liquid medical oxygen.

[REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE] A UP health care worker in Prayagraj unloads oxygen bottles from a truck on Saturday (Photo credit: PTI)

HIGHLIGHTS

• The dean of Shahdol Medical College said the deaths were the result of lack of oxygen
• Shahdol Medical College is only equipped to provide medical oxygen to seriously ill patients
• Five PSA oxygen systems are being built in Madhya Pradesh, which is suffering from the second wave of Covid-19 infections

Twelve coronavirus patients died at Shahdol Medical College in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to a lack of liquid medical oxygen on Sunday evening.

The dean of Shahdol Medical College, Dr. Milind Shiralkar, previously told the media that Covid-19 patient deaths were the result of a lack of medical oxygen.

Family members of the deceased Covid-19 patients also claimed the deaths were caused by the lack of stable oxygen supplies.

Shahdol’s additional district judge (ADM), Arpit Verma, denied that the lack of oxygen had anything to do with death.

Shahdol Medical College is currently only equipped to provide medical oxygen to critically ill patients.

Five oxygen systems are built in MP

At least five PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) Oxygen systems are installed in Madhya Pradesh, as part of the central government’s efforts to ensure uninterrupted supplies of liquid medical oxygen.

With the second wave of Covid-19 infections putting tremendous pressure on India’s tired health infrastructure, reports have surfaced in recent days from various parts of the country highlighting the lack of medical oxygen in hospitals.

In fact, the central government issued an emergency resolution on Saturday to resolve a uninterrupted supply of oxygen bottles across national borders. This third order in 24 hours allowed manufacturers and suppliers to supply medical oxygen to hospitals across the country.

Will the government wake up: Kamal Nath

In response to the Shahdol deaths, former Madhya Pradesh Prime Minister Kamal Nath said the state government was lying about oxygenating Covid-19 patients.

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– Kamal Nath’s office (@OfficeOfKNath) April 18, 2021

“Has the government not woken up after deaths due to lack of oxygen in Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Sagar, Jabalpur and Khargone,” asked Congress Director Kamal Nath.

The situation is the same with remdesivir injections, Kamal Nath said, adding that patients must be provided with oxygen on a war basis.

(With input from Ravendra Shukla)