After seven critical Covid-19 patients being treated at Hyderabad's King Koti Hospital
lost their lives due to the late arrival of an oxygen tank, a similar incident took place at Tirupati’s Ruia Hospital, in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
11 Covid-19 patients reportedly passed away due to the shortage of medical oxygen at the facility, a "Covid-speciality" hospital with nearly 1,000 beds. The shortage was caused by the delay in the arrival of an oxygen tanker.
Following the tragedy, AP Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy ordered an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, outraged by the lapse, the CPI today staged a demonstration at the hospital protesting the death of the patients, demanding that the Jagan government take strict action against those responsible for the deaths, and that it take immediate steps to ensure the availability of medical oxygen across all the healthcare facilities in the state.
They took out a rally to the hospital but were subsequently arrested. CPI national secretary Dr K Narayana, who on his way to the protest site, was also arrested. He was then shifted to his native place, Ainambakam village.
The party's state secretary Ramakrishna condemned Narayana's arrest.
He asked on what grounds the police had arrested the party's national secretary who was on his way to the temple town for a peaceful protest.
Ramakrishna also lambasted the AP government for not being able to avert the deaths by ensuring the availability of adequate stocks of medical oxygen in the state, and termed the 11 deaths "state-sponsored deaths".