'Centre Will Soon Deny Covid's Existence': Delhi Health Min Slams Govt For Oxygen Shortage Claim

Delhi Health Minister has said that all the claims made by the Centre that there was no Covid death due to oxygen shortage are false.

New Delhi: Centre's statement in the Parliament claiming there were no deaths of Covid patients due to lack of oxygen during the second wave in the country has raised a political storm as the opposition have been attacking the government saying the claims are false.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that all the claims made by the Centre are false. When asked if he can reveal the death count due to oxygen shortage in the national capital, he said that they had formed a committee to track the data but the Centre dissolved it.

Satyendra Jain further said, " They (Centre) will soon say there was no COVID-19. If there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen, then why were hospitals going to High Court for shortages? This is completely false."

"We had formed an audit committee for oxygen to provide compensation to victims, which was stopped by the Centre through LG. The Centre is rubbing salt on wounds. We'll appeal the LG to allow us to run the committee", said Satyendra Jain.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also alleged that the Delhi Committee which was going to track the reason behind every Covid death was dissolved by the government as the Centre wanted to hide the mismanagement caused by them due to oygen shortage

No deaths due to lack of oxygen specifically reported by states and UTs: Centre

The Centre on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha that no deaths due to lack of oxygen were “specifically reported” by states and union territories during the second Covid 19 wave that hit the country.

Responding to the question on whether a large number of Covid-19 patients died on roads and hospitals due to acute shortage of oxygen during the devastating second wave, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar noted that health is a state subject and states and UTs regularly report the number of cases and deaths to the Centre.

“Detailed guidelines for reporting of deaths have been issued by the Union Health Ministry to all states and UTs.

“Accordingly, all states and UTs report cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis. However, no deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states and UTs,” she said.