Rajesh Tope said that many of the patients who died had issues like co-morbidities and other ailments (File).
Mumbai:
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said that the state government has not reported any death due to lack of oxygen during the second wave of COVID-19.
In April this year, 22 patients had died due to a leak in an oxygen storage plant at a hospital in Nashik, which disrupted oxygen supply, local officials had said. Mr Tope had then said that a thorough investigation would be conducted to find out whether negligence led to the oxygen leak in the hospital.
On Tuesday, the central government told the Rajya Sabha that there were no deaths reported by states and union territories during the second COVID-19 wave due to lack of oxygen. sharp criticism of the opposition leaders.
When asked about the Centre’s statement by a TV channel, Mr. Tope said, “We never said that people died due to lack of oxygen in the state. Many of them had issues like co-morbidities and other diseases.” There has been no death. Oxygen deprivation.”
earlier in the day, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, whose party shares power with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra, said those whose relatives died due to lack of oxygen “should take the central government to court”.
Noting that opposition-ruled states claimed in courts that there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen during the second COVID-19 wave and made similar claims in its response to the Centre, the BJP on Wednesday took a row over its rivals. counterattacked between Modi government’s reply in Parliament.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the central government’s reply was based on the data provided by the states and union territories as health is a state subject.
He said that no state sent any data about patients who died due to lack of oxygen.
He said that the Maharashtra government also told the Bombay High Court that no one died due to lack of oxygen and Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo had also made similar claims.
Soon after Minister of State for Health Bharati Praveen Pawar made a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the issue on Tuesday, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal accused the minister of “misleading” the House.
Describing the statement as “reprehensible”, the Rajya Sabha MP, Mr Venugopal, whose question was answered, had said that he would move a privilege motion against the minister.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
.