Govt. must audit deaths due to Oxygen shortage in second wave, says Parl Panel
Image credit: The Daily Guardian
In a report, the parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare suggested that the union ministry of health and family welfare look into the COVID deaths caused by an oxygen shortage and make sure the relatives of the dead receive compensation.
The panel, led by SP member Ram Gopal Yadav, expressed disappointment at the government’s blatant ignorance in its report and strongly advised the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to look into the number of deaths caused by an oxygen shortage, particularly during the second wave of COVID.
The report of the committee states that “the Ministry, in cooperation with the States, must audit the deaths resulting from oxygen shortage and enable robust documentation of the COVID deaths that will generate a responsive and responsible sense of government and cautious formulation of policy and combat situational health care emergency.”
Many times, patients’ families begged for oxygen while standing in lines for oxygen cylinders. When hospitals were left with only a few hours of oxygen supply, the media focused on reports of hospitals running out of oxygen and making frantic requests. The Delhi government was criticised by the Delhi High Court in April 2021 for claiming poor management in the distribution of medical oxygen. In May 2021, the High Court further ordered the Central Government to send any unused oxygen tanks from states where the COVID-19 situation was improving to Delhi.
When the Union Health Ministry earlier asked states and UTs for confirmation of deaths during the second wave owing to an oxygen shortage, 20 states and UTs responded that there had been no deaths. The ministry should work with the states and audit the deaths caused by an oxygen shortage, according to the committee’s observation.
“The Ministry, working with the States, must audit the deaths caused by oxygen deprivation and enable robust documentation of the COVID deaths that will generate a responsive and responsible sense of government and cautious formulation of policy and combat situational health care emergency,” the panel’s report states.
About The Author
