No Deaths Due To Lack Of Oxygen Reported By States, UTs During 2nd COVID Wave: Centre Claims In Rajya Sabha

During the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Union Health ministry today claimed in the Rajaysabha that there had been no deaths due to the Lack of Oxygen during the Second COVID Wave.

Responding to a question as to whether during the 2nd COVID Wave, a large number of COVID-19 patients died on roads and hospitals due to acute shortage of oxygen, the Ministry said that Health is a state subject and detailed guidelines were issued by the Central Government to the states and UTS and "no deaths due to Oxygen has been specifically reported by the states/UTs".

The health minister also dismissed the claims of underreporting of deaths due to Covid-19 as Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandviya claimed that if there had been any underreporting, it was done by the states and not the Union government.

"We only compile the states' data and publish them", he further added. 

MoS (Health) Bharati Pravin Pawar in Rajya Sabha said: There are no reports of concealing of death by the states/UTs. However, some of the states based on the reconciliation of mortality data have revised their figures.