PESHAWAR: At least six Covid-19 patients died after "criminal negligence" resulted in a delayed supply of oxygen to Khyber Teaching Hospital on Saturday night, officials said Sunday.
Confirming the incident, Provincial Minister for Health, Taimur Khan Jhagra shared on his twitter account, "there was an incident last involving a shortage of oxygen supply,"
"I have directed the Board of Governors (BoG), to conduct an immediate inquiry and take action within 48 hours or if otherwise required, government will immediately orders its own independent inquiry," Taimor added.
Sharing details of the gory incident, Spokesman of KTH, Farhad Khan apprised newsmen that among the deceased five were patients of COVID-19.
The patients were admitted in hospital's coronavirus ward and one was in intensive care unit, Farhad added.
He said hospital got its oxygen supply from Rawalpindi which did not receive on time and caused shortage as a result of which six patients breathed their last.
Another official of KTH said there were about 120 oxygen cylinder in the back up but due to spike in cases of coronavirus patients at country level a sudden shortage occurred.
Expressing anguish and grief over the incident, Provincial Minister for Labour and former Spokesman of KP Government, Shaukat Yousafzai said inquiry has been ordered and stern action would be taken over persons found involved in negligence.
Chief Minister KP, Mahmood Khan while taking notice of incident has held out assurance that a probe within the incident would be completed within 48 hours. He also assured of taking stern action against responsible.
KP Health Minister Taimor Saleem Jhagra has said that the unfortunate incident at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) will be probed transparently and system will be improved to prevent such incidents in future.
Addressing a news conference along with Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Kamran Bangash.
He said that the incident occurred due to shortage of oxygen and it will be probed transparently. Protection of the lives and properties of the general public is the prime priority of the government, he added.
He also assured that if inquiry by the hospital BoG is found unsatisfactory, or if otherwise required, the government will immediately order its own independent inquiry. He further said that all the facts of the case will be made public. A meeting of Board of Governors of Khyber Teaching Hospital has been summoned after the incident.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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