7 Covid patients die in 24 hrs as hosp denies O2 shortage
Noida: As the death toll from Covid-19 in Gautam Buddh Bagar scales new heights every day, with cremation data significantly inconsistent with that reported by authorities and crematoriums getting overwhelmed, a total of seven serious Covid-19 patients admitted to the Child PGI Hospital in Sector 30 died in a span of 24 hours, raising suspicions that the medical oxygen shortage is getting to Noida hospitals as well but the hospital administration has denied the deaths were caused due to oxygen shortage or disruption in supply.
As per Dr DK Gupta, Director, SSHPGTI, Noida, the seven patients were all adults aged between 34 to 75 years of age. "They were admitted to hospital on Friday in a serious condition and brought with an advanced stage of Covid disease with severe pneumonia and refractory hypoxia. Two died within 1-6 hours and others in 1-2 days" Dr Gupta said.
The senior doctor also claimed that there is no shortage of oxygen at Child PGI hospital in Noida and said that all these patients were offered different modes of oxygen therapy after admission. "There was no break in the oxygen supply to any patient during their stay here. However, the patients died of advanced covid disease" he added.
Significantly, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has insisted that there is no shortage of oxygen in hospitals of his state and even threatened prosecution under the National Security Act against anyone found spreading "false rumours" regarding these issues.
And as the deaths keep mounting, in order to clear the increasing burden of Covid dead bodies, Lok Manch - the NGO which runs Antim Niwas in Sector 94 of Noida and is owned by the Noida Authority, has decided that only Covid bodies will be cremated at the crematorium.
"Owing to the huge rush, we have decided that from now, bodies of only those persons who have died due to Covid will be cremated at Antim Niwas. The district administration has also marked cremation space for deaths due to any other reason," said Mahesh Saxena, general secretary, Noida Lok Manch.
For the cremation of bodies, the Lok Manch has also issued a WhatsApp number for online registration. People looking to cremate bodies can send required documents on WhatsApp number — 8448153825. The documents needed include the Aadhaar card of the patient, hospital records, including death certificate, Covid status or death summary. Once the documents are verified, a slot will be provided for cremating the body.
Gautam Buddh Nagar on Sunday reported 1,310 new Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths officially.
