More relatives from Goa COVID-19 The victims accused the government of sprinkling salt on their wounds at the behest of the Centre. In a written response in the state assembly, Rane said, “Oxygen was not supplied at any point of time. GMC The stock is over, and thus, no one is reported to have died due to non-supply of oxygen. No deaths have been directly attributed to lack of oxygen. But of course the consumption per patient has increased due to Kovid-19.”
On May 11, Rane held a press conference to announce that 26 Covid-19 patients died between 2 am and 6 pm in GMC during the second wave due to a drop in oxygen supply.
“Why was the health minister asking for a probe into the deaths that occurred between 1 am and 2 pm? If it’s not due to lack of oxygen, why the outcry for oxygen? Maybe the deaths are happening during the night to accommodate the patients of her constituency,” Emilia Fernandes said on a social media platform.
Twitter user Rajesh Mudra was not surprised by the government’s refusal and called it a natural consequence when “people without a mandate” form the government.
Not everyone shared the same restraint. Many slammed the government and accused the chief minister and Rane of lying to the state.
“How can you be such an outspoken liar? With almost every evidence of this on the media and print media, do you think people are fools? This is salt on the wounds of those who gave their loved ones not for Covid but for oxygen.” Lost to shortfall in supply,” said Shamila Siddiqui.
TOI had reported that at least 83 people were suspected to have died due to oxygen-related issues between May 11 and May 15 during treatment for Covid-19 at GMC. From. m Pramod Sawant, who had visited the Covid wards on May 11, had also indicated that there was a shortage of oxygen. “It seems that oxygen does not reach the patients. I will not tolerate such acts which lead to the death of Covid patients due to lack of oxygen,” he had said soon after his visit.
But on Friday, in a written reply to three questions on oxygen-related deaths, Rane categorically denied that there had been any deaths, but went ahead and commended the government.
“He has to stand by the words spoken in Parliament. How can they go against the high command? It is about the party and not the country or the people, please understand. The flights that arrived with oxygen internationally were not for lack of oxygen,” Judith Fernandes said.
Many pulled up the state government for hitting back on the issue of lack of oxygen. “Yes, all the deaths were caused by a lack of carbon dioxide! Because, you know, oxygen is readily available in the atmosphere. There is no CO2 and that seems to be the argument,” said Capestron Pereira.
Entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi, one of the first citizen volunteers to put together relief measures and resources for COVID-19 patients, said the government has no respect for families who lost someone due to lack of oxygen. “The brazenness with which our elected representatives can go on record and lie is beyond you and me. They lie through their teeth, sit comfortably over dead bodies, profit from every necessary medicine sold, and win elections after donating to a football field. I hope Goa will remember this,” said Chaturvedi.
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