15 patients died due to lack of oxygen at private hospital in UP, allege kin

Families of at least 15 Covid-19 patients who died within 24 hours at a private hospital in UP’s Moradabad said it was because the facility ran out of oxygen. The hospital denied the charge and said the patients were critical and died due to “health complications”.

Kin of the patients sent a signed letter to the district magistrate (DM) on Thursday demanding a probe and action. They alleged that they were told in the morning by a staff nurse that oxygen supply was interrupted, which then led to the deaths. They also alleged that doctors had “run away from the hospital”.

Dr CP Singh, director of Bright Star Hospital, New Moradabad, said, “11 patients have died in the last 24 hours at the hospital. Those who died were critical patients of Covid-19 and passed away during treatment. There is no scarcity of oxygen and our oxygen plant is fully functional.”

Moradabad DM Rakesh Kumar Singh has ordered a probe. But he also said, “Patients who were put on ventilators would have also died had there been disruption in oxygen supply. But that did not happen. There is no evidence of scarcity of oxygen at the hospital so far. However, case files of the deceased are being thoroughly studied to ascertain the cause of deaths. A detailed probe has been ordered.”

Meanwhile, additional director (health), Moradabad, Dr Vineet Shukla, said the patients had died due to infection. “After the complaint, a joint inspection was conducted by SDM (sadar) Prashant Tiwari and district surveillance officer DK Premi. Six patients died after 3am on Thursday. The records were checked. There is sufficient oxygen supply available at the hospital. It is clear that the patients, who were already critical, succumbed to infection during.”

The distraught families were not convinced. Rajat Kumar Singh, a resident of Moradabad, said, “When I went to see my father at the hospital, there was panic all around. He was found lying unconscious. I asked everyone, but nobody told me what had happened to him. He had died.”

Another patient’s brother said, “My brother was absolutely fine when I saw him last on Wednesday night. When I came to see him the next morning, he was gone.”

Police in Moradabad have also launched a probe. Additional superintendent of police of Moradabad, Anil Kumar Yadav, said, “The deaths are being verified. Prima facie, there was no shortage of oxygen and the patients died as their condition was critical.”