KALABURAGI: Two Covid patients, who were admitted at the KBN Hospital here a few days ago, died allegedly due to non-availability of oxygen in time to save them, hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Moinuddin disclosed on Saturday.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr Moinuddin said that first patient died around 7 pm and second about an hour later. Both due to shortage of oxygen cylinders, the hospital has stopped admitting Covid patients since a couple of days, he rued. On Saturday, oxygen cylinders were available in the hospital and when they got exhausted, the staff disconnected the pipes to replace the cylinders.
During the process, both patients died, according to Moinuddin. When the attendants of the patients came to know that their relatives have died, they tried to assault the staff who ran away to protect themselves, eyewitnesses said.
Meanwhile, Kalaburagi DC V V Jyothsna told TNIE that she had received initial information that three people had died due to shortage of Oxygen, but the number of the deaths is yet to be ascertained. The DC claimed that KBN Hospital has not sent any requisition for oxygen cylinders.
The hospital is also not admitting Covid patients referred by the District Government Hospital. Even then, the district administration has provided 10 oxygen cylinders to the hospital. There is no shortage of cylinders in Kalaburagi as on date, she stressed. The District Expert Committee on Covid will visit the hospital and inquire into the cause of death and find out whether the patients died due to oxygen shortage or mismanagement. If it is established that there was negligence, action will be taken, she said.