Agra (Uttar Pradesh): A video that appears to contain the voice of Dr Arinjay Jain, the owner of Paras Hospital in Agra has gone viral in which he is heard saying that oxygen to patients was snapped briefly as part of a drill. As a result, 22 patients became critical on April 26. At the time there were 96 Covid-19 patients in the hospital.
"There was an acute shortage of oxygen. Modinagar had run out of it. We were asking people to discharge (take away) their patients but no one was ready. So I decided to conduct an experiment… a mock drill of sorts. We snapped the oxygen supply for five minutes on April 26, at 7 am. Twenty-two patients started gasping for breath and their bodies began turning blue. So we came to know that they will not survive in case there is no oxygen. Then, family members of the remaining 74 patients in the ICU wards were told to bring their own oxygen cylinders," Dr Arinjay Jain is heard saying in the video. The doctor said the video has been misinterpreted.
(ETV Bharat does not vouch for the authenticity of this video)
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Prabhu N Singh, the District Magistrate of Agra has ordered a probe into the matter. He confirmed that four people died on April 26.
Though Paras Hospital was granted permission by authorities to treat 45 Covid patients, the hospital flouted rules by admitting 96 patients. As a result the hospital became a hotspot, with the infection reportedly spreading to Firozabad, Etah, Mainpuri, Etawah, Kasganj, Hathras, Mathura and Farrukhabad. This led to cases being filed against the hospital under the Epidemic Act.
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UP Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh also commented on the video. "Have received a complaint that there were issues with providing oxygen at Paras Hospital. Inquiry is underway, will update once the investigation is completed."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday demanded strict action. There should be strict action against those responsible for this heinous crime. My condolences are with the family members of the deceased in this hour of grief," he said in a tweet in Hindi. Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared the doctor's video on Twitter and questioned who was responsible.
