Officials Trying To "Whitewash" Issue: Families On Delhi Oxygen Deaths

The Delhi Police told a city court on Tuesday that the death of 21 COVID-19 patients at a city hospital in April was not caused due to the shortage of oxygen, contradicting the hospital's claim.

A day after the Delhi Police told a court that the deaths of 21 coronavirus patients in the national capital's Jaipur Golden Hospital were not due to oxygen shortage, the families of the victims accused the authorities of trying to "whitewash" the matter and demanded a fair probe into it. Erick Massey, whose mother Delphin Massey died at the Jaipur Golden Hospital allegedly due to oxygen shortage, said the hospital director had clearly mentioned that they did not receive oxygen. "The Centre had recently said that there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen that was specifically reported by states and union territories during the second wave of coronavirus. They are fooling us. The death summaries mention respiratory failure or cardiac arrest. It's written in a technical language. We are demanding a proper investigation," he said. The hospital had clearly said they were operating on reserves, Mr Massey said, adding that it meant oxygen pressure was low and people on ventilators would not have survived on low oxygen pressure, he said.