"Some Covid Deaths In Andhra Pradesh Due To Insufficient Oxygen": Centre

Andhra Pradesh Covid Deaths: A massive row broke out last month after the junior Health Minister told the Rajya Sabha "no deaths due to lack of oxygen were reported" during the second Covid wave

An unspecified number of COVID-19 patients died due to "insufficient oxygen being available" at a hospital in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati during the second wave, the centre told Parliament on Tuesday. Responding to a question from Telugu Desam Party MP K Ravindra Kumar, junior Health Minister Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Rajya Sabha that state government data indicated "some patients" died in the interval between refilling of the main tank and the hospital switching to its backup supply. "As per the preliminary report, it appears the interval between the leveling out of 10KL oxygen tank and the switching on of the backup manifold system of this hospital resulted in the drop in pressure in the oxygen lines," Dr Pawar said. "The drop in the pressure in the oxygen lines led to insufficient oxygen being available for the patients mainly on ventilator support," she said in her reply.