Almost 24 patients in which 23 patients suffering from COVID-19 died in Karnatakas Chamarajanagar because of oxygen shortage in the district hospital in the last 24 hours. A blanket of sadness descended on the Chamarajanagar district hospital as the devastated relatives of the deceased patients gathered after hearing the sad news.

Family members and relatives of the patients who died staged a demonstration in the hospital and raised slogans suspecting there was a shortage of oxygen.

S Suresh Kumar, Chamarajanagar district in-charge Minister, also the Primary and Secondary Education Minister, said that he has ordered a death audit report of this incident from the district administration.

However, he maintained that all the deaths did not happen due to shortage of oxygen. Its not correct to state that all the 24 deaths were due to oxygen shortage. These deaths occurred from Sunday morning to Monday morning. The oxygen shortage happened in the early hours of Monday from 12.30 to 2.30 a.m.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa called the deputy commissioner of the district and has gained information about this incident. Suresh Kumar said the death audit report would give detailed information about these patients suffering and they had any comorbidities and what was their state when they were brought to the hospital.

As per him, there is a stock of 6,000 litres of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) however there is a need for oxygen cylinders. The cylinders were supposed to come from Mysuru. He has told the officials to find a permanent solution regarding the supply of oxygen in Chamarajanagar district. There is a problem in Mysuru and it should not delay the supply of oxygen from Mysuru to Chamarajanagar and Mandya.

The Minister said he is going to visit Chamarajanagar to oversee the situation, while expressing his grief over the death of 24 patients.

Source: ET Healthworld