Asked Delhi for details of oxygen deaths, says Union health minister

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Sisodia said the central government was yet to ask the Delhi government for details on deaths caused by shortage of oxygen. Calling for a thorough probe into all deaths caused by the lack of medical oxygen, Sisodia said the Delhi government will share all details with the Centre.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said his ministry wrote to the Delhi government on July 26, seeking details of deaths caused by oxygen shortage in Delhi during the latest wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, contrary to what deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the previous day.

On July 20, the Centre told the Parliament that states have so far recorded no deaths caused by oxygen shortage. (Vipin Kumar/HT file photo)

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Sisodia said the central government was yet to ask the Delhi government for details on deaths caused by shortage of oxygen. Calling for a thorough probe into all deaths caused by the lack of medical oxygen, Sisodia said the Delhi government will share all details with the Centre.

In a tweet in Hindi on Wednesday, with a copy of a letter attached, Mandaviya said: “Respected Mr Sisodia, on July 26, my ministry had written a letter to the Delhi government. Here is a copy of it. It is still not late yet. You can send the data by August 13 so that we can share the response in the Parliament. I request you to talk to your officers and send the relevant data at the earliest.”

Responding to the Union minister’s tweet, Sisodia on Wednesday said, “In the communication received by Delhi government on July 26, the Centre gave time till 12 noon of next day to file the data, a mere 12-14 hours time frame. It was never mentioned that the data can be submitted by August 13. If there is any such letter that says so then it must be shown by the Centre. In any case, the Delhi government will soon submit a report to the Centre on the issue of deaths due to oxygen shortage in Delhi.”

At its peak, Delhi recorded around 28,300 Covid cases in a day, and a positivity rate exceeding 36% on April 20 and 22 respectively. Around that time, at least 31 people are believed to have died because or oxygen shortage in two separate incidents in two hospitals – Jaipur Golden Hospital, Rohini and Batra Hospital, Tughlakabad institutional area.

On May 4, the state government told the Delhi high court that an expert committee could not ascertain whether 21 deaths at Jaipur Golden Hospital took place because of oxygen shortage.

On July 20, the Centre told the Parliament that states have so far recorded no deaths caused by oxygen shortage.