SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Forward Party (GFP) on Thursday filed a police complaint against Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, Chief Secretary Parimal Rai and Industries, Trade and Commerce Director Swetika Sachan, a nodal officer for maintenance/ allocation of oxygen supply in all hospitals, for their alleged negligence in the death of COVID-19 patients in the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim due to shortage of oxygen supply.
GFP Employees Forward convenor John Nazareth filed the complaint at Agacaim police station under Sections 336, 337, 338 and 304(A) read with Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Nazareth in his complaint stated that the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and the nodal officer committed gross and reckless acts of negligence and deliberate omission of duty thereby leading to and causing the death of several COVID-19 positive patients due to sudden and abrupt interrupted supply of oxygen to them while undergoing treatment in the GMC.
Nazareth has mentioned the statements made by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane about the death of 26 COVID-19 patients due to interrupted supply of oxygen from 2 am to 6 am on May 11 and thereafter statement made by the Chief Minister that a delay in oxygen supply may have led to a drop on pressure in the central supply at the hospital.
The complainant said that the fact that more than 26 patients have died at the State’s largest COVID facility at GMC, on account of shortage of oxygen shows the complete lack of care and gross negligence on part of the three accused.
Nazareth further stated that despite the damage being brought to light and being reported to the three accused, the latter did not take any remedial steps and in a callous manner and with full knowledge of the consequences, refrained from ensuring the uninterrupted supply of oxygen to GMC and other hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.
Nazareth said that the three accused have a duty of care and responsibility to ensure that patients’ life is secured and saved by ensuring that there is uninterrupted supply of oxygen at the COVID-19 wards of GMC and other hospitals in the State, which duty has been breached in a gross and reckless manner. The trio has deliberately failed to perform their duty as expected and required, which has led to the deaths of more than 60 patients, he added.
Nazareth stated that the negligence is continuing in nature and the accused are required to be taken to task, and appropriate action in law be taken by registration of a FIR against them under the relevant Sections of the IPC.
