No State Reported Deaths Due To Lack Of Oxygen, Health Ministry Tells Rajya Sabha

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday said the government has not hidden the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the country.

New Delhi: The provided by the states show that none of them reported deaths due to shortage of oxygen during the Covid-19 pandemic, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Responding to a question from BJP MP Mahesh Poddar, Pawar called ‘health’ a ‘state subject’, and said, “The government of India has maintained data of total cases and deaths reported by states/ Union Territories regularly… A few states/ UTs have responded and none of the states/UTs have reported deaths due to oxygen shortage,” according to a Hindustan Times report.

Addressing the question regarding ex-gratia to the kin of people who died due to COVID-19, Pawar said the National Disaster Management Authority has recommended Rs 50,000 compensation each to the kin of people certified to have died of Covid-19. The minister informed that states will pay the compensation from State Disaster Response Funds.

Pawar further stressed that oxygen availability in the country has been enhanced by increasing the production capacity.

The Centre also dismissed the Opposition’s allegations of not disclosing the real number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the country. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday said the government has not hidden the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the country.

The Minister said that the Centre compiles the data on fatalities based on the inputs provided by the state governments and administrators of the Union Territories. “Around 5.33 lakh deaths have been reported in the country so far out of which Kerala has reconciled more than 20,000 deaths,” Mandaviya said.

The Health Minister was replying to a question asked by the senior Congress leader KC Venugopal today.
Mandaviya further appreciated healthcare workers efforts to fight against COVID-19 and said, “Doctors and all paramedical staff in India have worked day and night during COVID-19 pandemic including all three waves.”

During the winter session of Parliament on December 3, Mandaviya told Lok Sabha that a request for data on the deaths due to oxygen shortage was emailed to all states and UTs. At the time he said only two states, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh, have responded.

(With ANI Inputs)