4 die of O2 shortage in Ggm hospital

GURUGRAM CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, VIRENDER YADAV, SAID THE SUPPLY OF OXYGEN IS NOT THE PREROGATIVE OF THE HEALTH DEPT, BUT SAID HE WILL PROBE THE CAUSE OF DEATHS

GURUGRAM: Four critically ill Covid-19 patients who were on ventilator support at Kathuria Hospital died on Sunday afternoon due to a shortage of oxygen, according to the hospital management. Staff at the hospital alleged that they had raised the alarm with authorities around 11am, but did not get the supply despite assurances.

The four, aged between 45 and 67, died around 3pm after the oxygen cylinders ran empty. The incident also caused a furore among relatives of other patients, who rushed to industrial units to fetch oxygen from private suppliers, the hospital authorities said.

Kathuria Hospital on Khandsa Road has 30 beds, all of which are occupied by Covid patients.

Dr AK Kathuria, the owner of the facility, said they had informed the health department and subdivisional magistrate (SDM) regarding the critical situation around 11am. “I called the health department and they asked me to contact the nodal officer and SDM concerned responsible for oxygen supply. We were assured by authorities that oxygen would reach the hospital in time, but nothing happened. Around 3pm, the oxygen cylinders went empty and four critical patients lost their lives,” he said.

However, district officials said they were not informed about the shortage and there was no demand raised for supply.

Yash Garg, deputy commissioner, Gurugram, said, “I was neither informed about the matter nor was any request made regarding the shortage. Duty magistrates were deployed and I am making further enquiries.”

Later in the evening, Garg ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter by subdivisional magistrate Jitender Kumar.

Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurugram said the supply of oxygen is not the prerogative of the health department but they will probe the reasons for the death of four patients. “We will probe if the deaths were caused by lack of oxygen or any other reason. I had told the hospital management to contact the official concerned responsible for oxygen supply,” he said.

Amit Shandilya, executive engineer and nodal officer for the hospital said he was not informed about the matter by the hospital authorities. “I am on record that no message or call was made to me in this matter. If they had informed, we would have managed supply,” he said.

Pradeep Kumar, subdivisional magistrate, Pataudi, said the charge of oxygen supply management was given to another official on Saturday. “I received a call from the hospital authorities but since I was busy, I informed them that they should raise the matter with the new in-charge of supply in the district,” he said.

Kathuria, however, refuted these claims. “We informed them within time and despite that, this tragedy happened. Relatives of other patients were forced to rush to get cylinder filled themselves,” he added.

Kathuria said that they managed to arrange oxygen cylinders from private sources around 4pm.