Agra, June 08: A video clip of alleged 'mock drill' at Shri Paras Hospital in Agra has surfaced on Social media. It is claimed that the hospital conducted a "mock drill" in which oxygen supply was cut off for Covid patients for five minutes.
In the April 28 video, Dr Arinjay Jain allegedly claims that there was acute oxygen shortage at the hospital during the second wave of coronavirus.
"Start discharging people, there is no oxygen availability anywhere, even the chief minister cannot get you oxygen. Modi Nagar is dry," he said.
"We talked with families of the patients but no one was ready to discharge their patients. So we decided to conduct a mock drill so that we could segregate the critically ill patients. After shutting off oxygen supply for five minutes, bodies of 22 patients started turning blue," Jain said.
He said that families of the remaining 74 Covid patients were asked to arrange for oxygen cylinders.
22 died in 'mock oxygen drill' at Agra hospital on April 26?
However, the district magistrate said there wasn''t scarcity of oxygen at the hospital and that no patient died due to oxygen shortage at the hospital.
Talking about deaths of Covid patients at the hospital, he said four patients died on April 26 while three succumbed to the infection on April 27.
"Shri Paras Hospital had enough oxygen and it is not true that 22 patients died there due to oxygen shortage. However, the video that is being circulated will be examined and the required action will be taken," the DM said.
Chief Medical Officer, Agra Dr R C Pandey told PTI that a team has been sent to the hospital to investigate the matter.
Govt orders probe
CM Yogi Adityanath has issued strict instructions regarding the matter. In the case of negligence in Paras Hospital, Agra, CM Yogi has given instructions for strict action. Shri Paras Hospital will be sealed again. Preparations are underway to shift the patients. Soon action will be taken by filing a case under the Epidemic Act. The police force including SP City is present on the spot.
News of 22 deaths are baseless, says Agra hospital owner
Meanwhile, the doctor has called the news reports as "baseless".
"The video featuring me is going viral. The subject mentioned in the video is of April when second wave was on peak. By mistake or innocence, I mentioned the word 'mock drill' in the video but there was no mock drill as such," said Dr Arinjay Jain, owner of Agra's Paras Hospital.
"We conducted, calls it clinical assessment or mock drill, to check how we can maintain a patient at minimum level of oxygen in our effort to ensure its rationale use. During this exercise, bedside oxygen adjustment was made," he said.
"Oxygen supply was not snapped during this exercise. It enabled us to identify patients who needed high-flow oxygen, so that we can make optional arrangements for them in case of accute oxygen shortage. News about 22 deaths are totally baseless," he added.
The doctor further said that he is ready to coperate in any investigation. "Officials of the health department today visited the hospital and I gave them all information they needed. But unfortunately, my hospital has been selaed," he said.