Twenty-four COVID-19 patients died reportedly due to low oxygen supply after an oxygen tanker leaked on Wednesday, 21 April, outside Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital in Nashik, Maharashtra.
The incident caused the oxygen supply to be disrupted for 30 minutes and led to the death of 22 COVID-19 patients on ventilators, who required a constant supply of oxygen.
Among the 24 deceased was Vicky Jadhav’s grandmother.
While talking to The Quint Jadhav said, “My grandmother was admitted in the hospital for the past three to four days. Her oxygen level was at 84 last night. She was fine till yesterday. She was sitting up and everything.”
Jadhav got a call from the hospital today morning asking him to come immediately.
He adds, “When I came, her oxygen level was at 34. The oxygen cylinder given to her had emptied. I asked the nurse to give oxygen but there was no oxygen in the whole hospital. It is because of the lack of oxygen that all the patients have died today. My grandmother died in front of me because she couldn’t get oxygen. The hospital authorities should be investigated.”
Jadhav further says, “Many people died right in front of me. I tried to help them but what could I do when there was no oxygen. Even the hospital couldn’t do anything because there was no oxygen.”
As per reports, 11 of the 24 deceased patients were women and the rest were men.
Asha Mahale, mother of another man who died due to lack of oxygen says, “The ventilator had failed four times. First, the pipe got detached, then there was an electricity cut, and then the oxygen was used up. The fourth mishap was the oxygen leak.”
She explains, “Even when we called the doctors or nurses, they ran here and there and hid away.”
When asked what her demand was, Mahale was visibly stirred by the question and repeated, “My demand? Will my son be returned? I only want my son, not money or wealth. My hero-like son, just return him.”
Though an inquiry has been ordered, and an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh announced for each family, there have been several reports of oxygen shortage in many states and hospitals of India.
(With inputs from Umesh Avankar from Nashik)
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