Three patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at the Maharaja Government Hospital of Vizianagaram died in the early hours of Monday apparently owing to disruption in oxygen supply. While two persons died in the hospital, one died after being shifted to a private hospital for better treatment.
Tense situation prevailed at the hospital with the arrival of family members and relatives of patients following report of deaths in the MR Hospital. Some of them identified their relatives and followed them in ambulances while they were being shifted to private hospitals.
Although the Opposition parties alleged that the toll was more than 10, officials maintained that only two patients died in the hospital and another at a private hospital.
Fifteen patients, who were in a critical situation of the 290 admitted to the hospital, were shifted to various private hospitals between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.
MR Hospital Superintendent Gowri Sankar said the administration had taken steps to shift the patients to nearby private hospitals after observing the sudden drop in oxygen levels at around 3.30 a.m.
Vizianagaram Collector M. Hari Jawaharlal who rushed to the hospital told the media that the oxygen was brought from industries located at Pydibhimavaram of Srikakulam district and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
Inspection
Vizianagaram Joint Collector Mahesh Kumar and biomedical engineers inspected the pipelines and supply system at the hospital. The technical glitches were cleared on war-footing by Monday afternoon.
Deputy Chief Minister Pamula Pushpa Srivani said that patients who were admitted to Vizianagaram private hospitals would be shifted to corporate hospitals in Visakhapatnam, if necessary.
Former Minister Sujay Krishna Ranga Rao, TDP Vizianagaram Parliamentary wing President Kimidi Nagarjuna and Vizianagaram TDP in-charge Aditi Gajapathi Raju sought a high level inquiry into the incident, alleging that the district administration was hiding the facts and the death toll.
