Panic over oxygen shortage as 24 COVID-19 patients die in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district hospital

CHAMARAJANAGAR: Twenty-four persons who were undergoing treatment for COVID-19 succumbed  due to shortage of oxygen supply here on Sunday night. 

The incident has triggered anxiety and panic among the locals over the scarcity of oxygen in district hospitals.

The New Indian Express on Saturday had reported about the scarcity of oxygen supply at hospitals across the district and warned about a possible tragedy in the near future if not addressed.

All the 24 persons were either on ventilator support or oxygenated beds and shortage of oxygen led to their deaths, their family members alleged. 

Elected representatives point at the lack of coordination between the administrations of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar that resulted in the tragedy. 

Chamarajanagar district commissioner MR Ravi had earlier claimed that there is no shortage of oxygen further stating that most of the deceased were on ventilator support and others had co-morbidities that led to the deaths.

However, he did accept that the deaths were due to oxygen shortage and the incident has shaken the COVID patients as many of them are hesitant to get admitted to district hospitals. 

However, in a late light development on Sunday, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha intervened to address the issue and provided 50 cylinders from Mysuru after learning that the current stock will get exhausted by 2 am.

Former Chamarajangar MP R Dhruvanarayan has demanded a judicial probe in this incident.