Cause of death in COVID patients can only be ascertained if ICMR issues guidelines: Jharkhand Health Minister

Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta on Tuesday said the exact cause of death in COVID patients can only be ascertained if the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issues a guideline regarding the matter.

"Exact cause of death would have been ascertained if ICMR had issued guidelines in this regard," Gupta told reporters.

Asked about his earlier statement that numerous people died in the state due to lack of oxygen, the minister said, "I am not denying. Lakhs of people died due to a shortage of oxygen in the country."

Earlier today, the Jharkhand government told the state assembly that no COVID-19 patient died due to a shortage of oxygen in the state.

( With inputs from ANI )