English
New Delhi: The Centre had on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that no deaths due to lack of oxygen were specifically reported by states and union territories during the second COVID-19 wave that hit the country. “Accordingly, all states and UTs report cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis. However, no deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states and UTs,” Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.
Shortly after the statement by the Centre was made in a written reply by the Pawar, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal accused the minister of having “misled” the house. Describing the statement as “condemnable”, Venugopal, a Rajya Sabha MP to whose question the reply was given, said he will move a privilege motion against the minister.
“In every state and in Delhi also, we have seen how many patients died due to lack of oxygen we know. Actually, the minister misled the House. I will move a privilege(motion) against the minister definitely because she misguided and misled the House by giving false information to the House,” Venugopal told reporters.
Pawar in her written reply at the same time said there was an unprecedented surge in demand for medical oxygen during the second wave and it peaked at nearly 9,000 MT compared to 3,095 MT in the first wave following which the Centre had to step in to facilitate equitable distribution among the states.
Responding to the question on whether a large number of COVID-19 patients died on roads and hospitals due to acute shortage of oxygen during the devastating second wave, Pawar noted that health is a state subject and states and UTs regularly report the number of cases and deaths to the Centre.
“Detailed guidelines for reporting of deaths have been issued by the Union Health Ministry to all states and UTs.
“Accordingly, all states and UTs report cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis. However, no deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states and UTs,” she said.
During the peak of the brutal second wave in April-May this year, there were media reports about death of COVID patients including in Delhi due to alleged oxygen shortage.
In Karnataka, state officials had said on May 3 that 24 patients including 23 suffering from COVID-19 died in Chamarajanagar due to alleged oxygen shortage in the district hospital during a 24-hour period from the previous day.
(With agency inputs)
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