22 Covid patients dead after oxygen leak at Dr Zakir Hussain NMC hospital in Maharashtra's Nashik

22 Covid patients dead

 after oxygen leak at Dr Zakir Hussain NMC hospital

 in Maharashtra's Nashik
 

At least 22 COVID-19 patients on ventilator support suffocated to death on Wednesday when their oxygen supply stopped suddenly because of a malfunction in the main storage at a civic-run hospital in Nashik in Maharashtra, officials said.

A total of 157 patients were undergoing treatment at the Covid-19 hospital in Nashik, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said. “Of these 157 patients, 61 were critical with some of them on ventilator and oxygen support. Among the 22 who lost their lives, 11 are men and 11 women,” added Tope.

Maharashtra FDA minister Dr Rajendra Shingane called it an “unfortunate incident” and ordered an enquiry. “It’s an unfortunate incident. We’re trying to get a detailed report,” Shingane was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Nashik Divisional Commissioner Radhakrishna Game told Hindustan Times that the incident took place at 10am when the socket of oxygen tank malfunctioned.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said what happened in Nashik is terrible. “I demand that the other patients be helped and shifted if needed. We demand a detailed inquiry,” Fadnavis told ANI.

This incident in Nashik comes 11 days after a massive fire broke out at the Well Treat Hospital in Nagpur on April 10 in which four patients including a woman lost their lives. The hospital is also treating Covid-19 patients.