No death from O2 shortage at Jaipur Golden Hosp on Apr 23/24: Delhi Police tells court

The Delhi Police on Tuesday has informed a local court that there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen at the Jaipur Golden Hospital amidst the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In its response before Delhi's Rohini Court, the Delhi Police stated that the committee, constituted by Delhi Government, has opined that the deaths were due to natural reasons and could not be attributed to the shortage of oxygen in Jaipur Golden Hospital in the national capital. 

"Medical Director, JGH, stated that a committee of four doctors was constituted by GNCT, Delhi, to ascertain the cause of deaths of patients intervening night of 23/24.4.2021 and the committee has opined that the deaths were due to natural reasons and could not be attributed to shortage of oxygen. They were not in a position to comment upon or refute the conclusion drawn by the said committee, based on their expert opinion and analysis," the reply accessed exclusively by Republic Media Network read. 

The police further stated that the CCTV footage and the death summaries of the deceased persons revealed that no death of any patient was caused due to a shortage of oxygen. "During the enquiry, the CCTVs footage of the intervening night of 23/24.04.21 and the death summaries of deceased persons, who expired on the intervening night of 23/24.4.2021 were obtained from Jaipur Golden Hospital. On scrutiny of death summaries of all deceased persons, it was revealed that no death of any patient caused due to shortage of oxygen, " read the status report filed by Delhi Police. 

Jaipur Golden Hospital, in its response, to the notice of the Delhi Police under section further stated, "After initial scrutiny of patient's death related reasoning, prima facie at that moment, it appeared that in four cases there was a drop of oxygen pressure around 9:45 PM on 23/04/2021, which is an unusual occurrence in such numbers. However, it is also a fact that these patients were on ventilator (NIV)."

"It was only in the circumstances, that the hospital sought to draw a linkage between the oxygen supply and the increased casualties and accordingly, the hospital expressed a legitimate concern and raised alarm bells in the wider public interest to ensure and ascertain non-interrupted oxygen supply for other admitted patients, the report further added. The report was filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Vivek Beniwal in a petition seeking to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) relating deaths that occurred in Jaipur Golden Hospital allegedly due to oxygen shortage. 

Advocates Sahil Ahuja and Siddhant Sethi, appearing for the petitioners have submitted that the police, with mala fide intention, have neither arrested nor set up an inquiry against the hospital management.

The petitioner said that it is crystal clear that the hospital management has allegedly murdered the complainant's family members, allegedly played fraud, conspired and, threatened them.

"Keeping everyone in dark and thereby not providing the proper oxygen support which led to the death is an act of culpable homicide on their part all whilst the accused hospital minted money and raised invoices, they should be booked under appropriate provisions of law," the petitioners stated. 

The plea was filed by the families of six patients who died at Jaipur Golden Hospital on April 23-24, demanding an FIR against the hospital management under sections of murder.

At least 21 patients had allegedly died at the hospital allegedly due to a dip in oxygen supply.

(Image Credit: PTI)