New Delhi: A panel set up by the Karnataka high court has found that the death toll of the oxygen shortage in Karnataka’s Chamrajnagar could actually be higher than 24.
According to the Times of India, the three-member panel confirmed that 24 COVID-19 patients had died at the Chamrajnagar district hospital on May 2, but added that another of 62 patients died at the hospital between May 4 and May 10 morning – at least 36 of whom were in-patients at the hospital on May 2 night, when the oxygen supply was disrupted for several hours. “The death of these 36 inpatients could be attributed to non availability of oxygen supply during the night of May 2 and early hours of May 3,” the panel said.
The panel, Times of India reported, said that the case sheets kept by doctors and nurses on these dates were “sketchy”.
This report was submitted to the bench in a sealed cover on Tuesday, and the court gave copies to all the advocates involved on Wednesday.
Also read: With Goa Toll, Hospital Oxygen Shortage Has Taken Lives of at Least 223 COVID Patients in India
According to the panel, the deaths could have been averted if authorities had acted on time. “Had the hospital administration been vigilant, it could have had enough of oxygen by timely refilling of cylinders. With the bottling plant at a distance of about 70 km, not having sufficient filled oxygen cylinders at Chamarajanagar is an act of callousness and led to loss of dozens of precious lives.”
The panel absolved the Mysuru deputy commissioner of any wrongdoing, The Hindu reported, but said both the Chamrajnagar district administration and the hospital authorities had failed to fulfil their duties. “The Dean of Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) and the in charge district surgeon, a microbiologist, did not exhibit leadership quality and failed to efficiently marshal available resources to save lives,” the panel noted.
“The Deputy Commissioner of Chamarajanagar, as chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee, miserably failed to guide and supervise the crisis situation arising out of extreme demand for oxygen. On the contrary, he indulged in an unsavoury blame game accusing the DC of Mysuru of causing hindrance for oxygen supply without any basis. …the DC, Mysuru, did not come in the way of refilling agencies in Mysuru from refilling oxygen cylinders of any other districts, including Chamarajanagar,” it continued.
The committee comprises retired judges A.N. Venugopala Gowda and K.N. Keshavanarayana and retired DG and IGP S.T. Ramesh.
As The Wire has reported, at least 223 COVID-19 patients across the country have died because of a lack of oxygen supplies at the hospitals where they were being treated.