FIR against pvt hosp for fake notice about O2 shortage

The Lucknow district administration lodged a first information report (FIR) on Wednesday midnight against Sun Hospital in Vibhav Khand locality under Vibhuti Khand police station limits for sharing a fake message about shortage of oxygen and asking patients on oxygen support to shift to other hospital, said senior district administration officials here on Thursday.

A senior district administration official said the hospital’s director Akhilesh Pandey and other unidentified people had been accused of spreading false information and causing panic in the FIR lodged with Vibhuti Khand police station.

He said they had been booked under Section 51 and 52 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 as well as under Section 188 (disobedience to government order promulgated by public servant) and Section 269 (unlawfully or negligently doing any act which has reason to believe to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code.

In the FIR, Dr Suresh Pandey, the complainant, on behalf of the district administration stated that the hospital authorities shared a notice on social media on May 3 claiming shortage of oxygen which caused panic among the attendants of the patients admitted there as well as in public.

“During a detailed enquiry on May 5, the district administration team found eight jumbo oxygen cylinders and 2 B-type oxygen cylinders as well as oxygen concentrators at the hospital. The enquiry also suggested that as many as 20 patients on oxygen support were admitted to the hospital and there was no shortage of oxygen. It seems that the hospital authorities posted the notice to mount pressure on the district administration to procure more oxygen,” the FIR said. The PDF copy of the FIR filed in this connection is in the possession of HT.

As per the FIR, the hospital had procured 26 jumbo cylinders on May 1 when 18 Covid positive patients were admitted. It also procured 58 jumbo oxygen cylinders on May 2 when 17 Covid positive patients were admitted. Besides, the hospital authorities were found violating Covid protocol by allowing noninfected people inside the Covid ward without taking proper precautions, the FIR added.

Deputy commissioner of police, east, Sanjiv Suman said sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar had been made the investigation officer of the case and further probe into the matter was in progress.