Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar and District In-charge Minister S Suresh Kumar rushed to Chamarajanagar from Bengaluru, after learning about the death of the patients allegedly due to oxygen shortage at the Covid Hospital on Monday.
Addressing media persons later, Sudhakar said, according to primary reports of the district administration, health department, and the hospital authorities, only three deaths were due to oxygen shortage. However, a death audit will be conducted, after which there will be clarity, he said.
Sudhakar said around 123 patients were in the hospital. While 14 of them were on ventilator support, 36 patients were under Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV), 58 patients under High flow Oxygen treatment, and 29 under normal Oxygen treatment, the minister said.
According to the information available, 14 people died of Covid, from 7 am on Sunday to 12 midnight. Three deaths were reported between 12 midnight and 3 am while seven deaths were from 3 am to 7 am on Monday.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has directed to conduct a comprehensive probe into the issue. "The state government has appointed an IAS officer and KSRTC managing director Shivayogi Kalasad to probe the incident and submit a report in three days. Hence, I will not give more details. There was no information about Oxygen going dry till 12 midnight. The government will not spare anybody if they are found erring," he said.