Lack Of Oxygen Did Not Lead To Any Deaths During Second Wave Of Covid 19: Centre

BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

• The written statement was in response to the question raised by the Congress MP, K C Venugopal in Rajya Sabha.
• Venugopal put forth a query, asking if a huge number of deaths of COVID patients occurred in the roads and hospitals due to the shortage of oxygen.
• He asked for an answer from the Government that would mention the steps taken to ensure that oxygen was made available to all the COVID patients.

CENTRE’S RESPONSE

• The Centre replied that ‘health’ comes under the State List and hence it is the responsibility of the states to report the COVID 19 cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis.
• The Union only complies and publishes the data that state provides them.

RESPONSE OF HEALTH MINISTRY

• The Healthy Ministry submitted a written response in the Rajya Sabha that not even a single death was recorded in any state due to lack of oxygen during the second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic.
• It also dismissed the claims of underreporting of the deaths due to COVID 19.
• Bharati Pravin Pawar, a member of State (Health) clarified that no reports of concealment of death by Union Territories or States have been reported, while some states did revise figures, based on the reconciliation of the mortality rate.

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