Patient dies, hospital denies Oxygen dearth in Kolkata

KOLKATA: The death of a 50-year-old woman at Vidyasagar Hospital in Behala has sparked allegations of inadequate oxygen supply given to her. The husband of the deceased patient alleged he was asked to arrange for an oxygen cylinder in the wee hours of Tuesday and had gone hunting for one all the way to Salt Lake. On his return, he was told his wife had expired. The hospital as well as the health department has denied the allegation. No formal complaint has been lodged by the family.
Jamuna Nath, a resident of Parnasree in Behala, was admitted to the hospital around 6am on Monday with Covid symptoms including difficulty in breathing. According to sources, the hospital’s stock of flow meters had exhausted and the family was asked to get one. The family insisted Jamuna’s husband Arup had received calls from the hospital at 2am and was asking to arrange for a cylinder citing rush of patients. The call allegedly came at 2am on Tuesday. The family also claimed Jamuna was forced to share oxygen with other patients. The hospital administration and health department denied the charges. “We had administered oxygen. We don’t know who asked the patient’s kin to arrange for a cylinder. They did not contact us,” said Ranjit Das, superintendant .