Kurnool: 5 patients die in private hospital, oxygen shortage blamed

Kurnool: The death of five Covid-19 patients allegedly due to scarcity of medical oxygen at a private hospital in the city on Saturday sent shockwaves across the district. The tragedy took place at KS Care hospital, which authorities said, has no permission to treat Covid patients. However, district administration denied the oxygen shortage is the reason for the deaths.

Sources said five patients who were admitted to treat the Covid succumbed to the pandemic due to non-availability of oxygen. In no time the news spread like wildfire in the district. The other in-patients in the hospital being treated for Covid were gripped by panic after the news broke. As the news went viral, district collector G Veera Pandiyan ordered the district medical and health officer (DMHO) Dr Rama Giddaiah, Aarogyasri district coordinator and a team of doctors to visit the hospital and probe the incident. The teams visited the hospital and submitted a report to the district collector.

Later, speaking to media persons, the collector said that only two patients had died in the incident. He said that the KS Care hospital was admitting the Covid patients without permission. The other patients were immediately shifted to Kurnool Government General Hospital. A criminal case has been registered against the managing director of KS Care hospital and further action would be taken according to Disaster Management Act, he said.

He further said that only 28 hospitals, including three government hospitals in Adoni, Nandyal and Kurnool, have been designated as Covid care hospitals. "There is no scarcity of beds and oxygen at the notified Covid care hospitals. Around 2,900 beds are available at the notified hospitals where 1,625 Covid patients are being treated. Of the remaining 1,275 beds, 900 oxygen beds are available," he explained.

The collector also insisted that there was no scarcity of oxygen. On an average 25 metric tonnes of oxygen is being consumed every day. "But we have 40 metric tonnes of oxygen available. Stringnt action will be taken if rumours are spread over scarcity of oxygen," he warned.

Veera Pandian said a team has been constituted to enquire into the death of two patients adding that they might have died of other causes as oxygen stocks were available in the hospital. The collector, accompanied by the SP Dr Fakkeerappa Kaginelli visited the hospital and inspected the premises.