Eleven Covid-19 patients in the ICU of Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital at Tirupati, the largest in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh in India, died on Monday evening due to lack of oxygen after a tanker with the gas got late by minutes, reports The Indian Express.
District Collector M Hari Narayana said while the 11 people who were on oxygen support died, they were able to save several others. Nearly 1,000 Covid patients are being treated at the hospital, from Tirupati, Chittoor, Nellore and Kadapa.
Officials said the oxygen pressure started dropping after 8:30 pm and the patients died within a few minutes, before the supply could be restored. Angry relatives broke into the Covid ICU, damaged some equipment and overturned tables with injections and medicines.
Officials said nurses and doctors fled the ICU fearing for their safety, returning only after police arrived and took control of the situation.
Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had held a review meeting on the prevailing Covid situation in the state, including measures to increase oxygen supply. Andhra reported 14,986 new positive cases on Sunday and 84 Covid deaths.
Monday also saw a spat between Andhra and Telangana over Covid patients from Andhra reportedly being stopped from proceeding towards Hyderabad for treatment. PTI reported that Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das spoke to his Telangana counterpart Somesh Kumar to sort out the issue.
As per the PTI report, authorities in Telangana started stopping ambulances carrying Covid-19 patients from Andhra Monday morning, resulting in trouble at two major check-posts - Kodada (from the Vijayawada end) and Jogulamba Gadwal (from Kurnool and Anantapuramu) as frustrated relatives took on police.
For the past few days, authorities in Telangana have been saying that load in hospitals in Hyderabad is increasing due to patients coming from other places.
Police officials told PTI that only patients with confirmed beds would be allowed into Telangana.