Goa oxygen shortage claims 13 more lives; 75 dead in 4 days

Thirteen Covid19 patients died at Goas apex government hospital the Goa Medical College in the early hours of Friday owing to oxygen mismanagement even as the death toll of patients who died between 2 am and 6 am at the premier facility reached 75 in four daysFormer Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai posted that thirteen people have reportedly died due to logistical issues in the critical dark hours between 1 am and 6 amGoemkars are devastated amp heartbroken as inspite of a truce between DrPramodPSawant amp visrane brokered by Centre 13 have reportedly died last night due to lsquologistical issuesrsquo GoaGmc during the critical lsquodark hoursrsquo 16AMWe need action not just another committee of enquirymdash Vijai Sardesai VijaiSardesai May 14 2021Videos of chaos at the numerous wards of the medical college have gone viral with patients relatives pleading for assistance as well as uploading emotive snapshots of helplessness and lack of hygiene in the health facilityA video shot at ward number 145 shows patients sleeping on mattresses and with oxygen monitors beeping in the background and the dull echo of family members patting patients in a bid to reassure them The video also shows debris of used food packets and other waste piled in a corner of the ward spilling out of garbage bagsIn another video shot by a relative at Ward 147 the relative complains of a procession of six to seven deaths at the hospital ward due to oxygen shortage The government says there is enough oxygen supply and is playing with the lives of peopleAn Opposition MLA of the Goa Forward party Vijai Sardesai has called the four hours between 2 am and 6 am when most of the deaths have happened as the dark hour of deathAlso ReadStatewide audit finds most hospitals across Maharashtra lack oxygen safetyIn all 75 people have died at the dark hour between 2am to 6am in the dead of the night on the last four consecutive nights Sardesai saidWhile 26 persons died on May 10 during the four hours on May 11 21 persons died due to lack of oxygen Despite a grilling of government agencies by the Bombay High Court which is hearing a bunch of public interest litigations related to poor Covid19 management and shoddy oxygen management at the premier hospital the spate of deaths did not stop with 15 persons dying on May 12 and 13 patients dying in the early hours of FridayThere is a complete collapse of governance In spite of HC intervention deaths are happening at this dark hour Rather than the government HC should rule Goa because government is doing nothing other than photo ops and filing cases against those who expose them Sardesai saidEarly Friday a team of youth Congress officials which has been assisting patients with refilling of oxygen cylinders for several days also visited the Covid19 ward of the medical collegeIf HC has to intervene in every matter why do you need a government We had demanded RTPCR tests to be made mandatory because of increasing tourist footfalls in Goa especially from Maharashtra which was facing a huge spike Youth Congress president Varad Mardolkar saidThis oxygen issue has been around for 1415 days But the government could not fix a problem like this it took the High Court to intervene and take some steps to address the crisis Mardolkar saidThe Goa government on Thursday had formed a committee headed by Indian Institute of TechnologyGoa director Dr BK Mishra to streamline oxygen supply to the facility The committee is expected to submit a report within three daysThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever