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Maharashtra: No COVID-19 death due to oxygen shortage, claims Rajesh Tope; Sena MP Sanjay Raut opposes

This comes a day after the Central government on Tuesday, July 20, declared that no deaths due to lack of oxygen were specifically reported by states and UTs during the second COVID-19 wave.

Maharashtra: No COVID-19 death due to oxygen shortage, claims Rajesh Tope; Sena MP Sanjay Raut opposes
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On Wednesday, July 21, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope clarified that the state government never reported any death due to a shortage of oxygen during the second wave of coronavirus.

This comes a day after the Central government on Tuesday, July 20, declared that no deaths due to lack of oxygen were specifically reported by states and UTs during the second COVID-19 wave.

In an interview with a media channel, Tope said: “We have never said that because of shortage of oxygen a COVID-19 patient has died in any hospital in the State. There is no record of any such case, nor have I made any statement to this effect. The fatalities that have occurred were due to co-morbidities or other medical ailments.”

On the other hand, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, whose party shares power with the NCP and Congress in the state, said people whose relatives died due to oxygen shortage should take the Union government to court.

Meanwhile, soon after the statement in the Rajya Sabha was made over the issue in a written reply by Minister of State for Health Bharati Pawar on Tuesday, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal accused the minister of having misled the House.

Responding to the question on whether COVID-19 patients had died on roads and in hospitals due to oxygen shortage, Pawar mentioned: “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.”

It is pertinent to note that in April this year, 22 patients died after the oxygen supply was disrupted at a Nashik hospital due to leakage in an oxygen storage plant, local officials had said. Tope had then said a thorough probe will be conducted to find out if negligence led to the leakage of oxygen at the hospital.

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