Asmany as 75 patients have died in last four days at Goa's apex governmenthospital, the Goa Medical College.
Inthe early hours of Friday a total of 13 patients succumb to the virus owing tooxygen mismanagement, taking the death toll to 75. As India gasps for oxygen,the families of victims ask who is to be held accountable. “People are dyingdue to oxygen shortage as our governments miserably failed to manage the crisis”,said a family member of the victim.
Videosof chaos at the numerous wards of the medical college have gone viral, withpatients, relatives pleading for assistance as well as uploading emotivesnapshots of helplessness and lack of hygiene in the health facility.
Avideo shot at ward number 145, shows patients sleeping on mattresses and withoxygen monitors beeping in the background and the dull echo of family memberspatting patients in a bid to reassure them. The video also shows debris of usedfood packets and other waste piled in a corner of the ward, spilling out ofgarbage bags.
Inanother video, shot by a relative at Ward 147, the relative complains of aprocession of six to seven deaths at the hospital ward due to oxygen shortage."The government says there is enough oxygen supply and is playing with thelives of people".
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AnOpposition MLA of the Goa Forward party Vijai Sardesai has called the fourhours between 2 am and 6 am -- when most of the deaths have happened -- as the"dark hour" of death.
"Inall 75 people have died at the dark hour between 2am to 6am in the dead of thenight on the last four consecutive nights," Sardesai said.
While26 persons died on May 10 during the four hours, on May 11, 21 persons died dueto lack of oxygen. Despite a grilling of government agencies by the Bombay HighCourt, which is hearing a bunch of public interest litigations related to poorCovid management and shoddy oxygen management at the premier hospital, thespate of deaths did not stop, with 15 persons dying on May 12 and 13 patientsdying in the early hours of Friday.
"Thereis a complete collapse of governance. In spite of HC intervention, deaths arehappening at this dark hour. Rather than the government, HC should rule Goabecause government is doing nothing other than photo ops and filing casesagainst those who expose them," Sardesai said.