15 May 2021  |   05:57am IST

13 more COVID patients died early May 14 at GMC

Relatives allege it was due to short supply of oxygen

Team Herald

PANJIM: Thirteen more COVID-19 positive patients undergoing treatment in the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim died in the early hours on Friday allegedly due to short supply of oxygen.

The family members and relatives of the deceased alleged that the deaths were caused between 2 am and 6 am due to short supply of oxygen.

Some of the family members tried to arrange portable oxygen cylinders for their relatives but they could not be saved, sources sad.

This is for the fourth consecutive day that COVID-19 patients have died due to oxygen shortage in the GMC wards despite the intervention of the High Court of Bombay at Goa asking the GMC authorities to take measures to save lives. But the crisis shows no signs of abating.

As many as 76 patients died in different COVID wards of the GMC due to lack of oxygen supply in the last four days. 

To overcome the oxygen crisis, the GMC authorities have now started installing a storage tank.

Announcing this Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant tweeted, “To ensure seamless oxygen supply and reduce dependence on the trolley system we have started installation of 20,000 litres of medical oxygen tank at Goa Medical College. This tank would be made operational on a war footing.”

The State government has now formed a three-member committee to inquire into the issue of interrupted oxygen supply in the GMC, Bambolim and to submit their report within next three days.