Andhra Pradesh government has officially admitted that as many as 23 Covid-19 patients died due to asphyxiation on account of lack of oxygen supply at Sri Venkata Ramana Ruia Hospital in Tirupati on May 10.
An affidavit to this effect was submitted to the state high court by the state government’ counsel on Saturday.
The government blamed it on the contractor – Bharat Pharma Medical Oxygen Supply Limited – for not supplying oxygen to the hospital on time.
The affidavit said the contractor could not deliver the oxygen cylinders on time, despite an alert sounded by the hospital authorities that there was a shortage of oxygen supply, leading to the death of 23 patients in the Intensive Care Unit due to suffocation.
It further said criminal cases had been booked against the contractor under Section 304 at Alipiri police station.
It also claimed that ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh had been paid to each of the families of 23 victims in the unfortunate incident.
It may be recalled that immediately after the incident, the district authorities who inspected the hospital site, claimed that the oxygen supply was restored in the hospital within minutes, as there was only 5-10 minutes delay in the oxygen supply by the contractor.
The authorities even declared that only 11 Covid-19 patients died in the incident due to low pressure in oxygen supply but not lack of oxygen.
However, the opposition parties raised a hue and cry over the attempt to fudge the figures and hush up the incident.
The BJP leaders filed a petition in the high court stating that as many as 25 patients died due to lack of oxygen supply and demanded that the govenrmetn pay an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh to each of the victims’ families.
