Punjab Health Min seeks report on 5 deaths at Amritsar hospital due to oxygen shortage

Taking serious notice of the incident at Neelkanth Hospital in Amritsar where five patients died due to oxygen shortage, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Saturday directed officials to submit a report within two days.

Sidhu instructed Health and Family Welfare Department Director Dr GB Singh to submit the report within two days.

The Health Minister said that a committee has been constituted by the District Administration to ensure the scrutiny of the incident.

"Stern action will be taken against erring authority if any laxity found at their end," said the health minister.

Meanwhile, Punjab Schol Education Minister OP Soni said, "Amritsar's Neelkanth Hospital authorities should have brought the matter of oxygen shortage to the notice of the administration. An inquiry committee has been set up to investigate the matter."

Neelkanth Hospital in Amritsar reported the deaths of five patients on Friday night due to lack of oxygen.

Speaking to mediapersons, Neelkanth Hospital MD said, "Five patients have died at the hospital. We are facing an oxygen shortage for the last 48 hours."

He also alleged that the administration is providing oxygen to government hospitals first and not to private ones.

"The administration is saying that oxygen will not be given to private hospitals before government hospitals," said the MD.

Amitpal Singh Bajwa, a sarpanch in one of Punjab's villages told , "I have witnessed the whole scene yesterday night. Those 6-7 patients themselves got out of the beds to ask the staff to save their lives. Their relatives were running to inquire about oxygen availability."

He added that if such hospitals do not have the capacity to manage so many patients, then "why keep them?"

"All these deaths that occurred last night are due to their carelessness," Bajwa said.

( With inputs from ANI )