Four persons including a woman died at the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) on Sunday because they could not be supplied with oxygen.
Reportedly there was no oxygen cylinder at the government-run hospital. The condition of six others is said to be serious.
While admitting to the shortage of oxygen cylinders, SKMCH superintendent Dr GK Thakur denied the deaths were because of that. “Oxygen cylinders were not available for a brief period. Now they are available,” Dr Thakur said, adding that the supplier of oxygen had been warned of stern action if such a situation arose again.
Manoj Paswan, a patient whose condition had deteriorated after midnight, said neither the doctors nor the staff was ready to listen. His wife, Kanti Devi, said, “Around 2 am my husband complained of uneasiness. I immediately informed the para-medical staff on duty. But I was asked to go to the guards and lodge a complaint.”
Later, Paswan had to be shifted to the emergency ward.