Haryana Govt to inquire negligence by hospitals in treating Covid-hit

Geetanjali Gayatri

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 23

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today told the Assembly that his government would set up a committee to probe possible negligence by hospitals in treating Covid patients.

Walkout over farmers’ issue

The Congress on Monday staged a brief walkout from the Assembly after Speaker Gian Chand Gupta disallowed its demand for a discussion on farmers’ issue, saying the farm laws were sub-judice.

He made the announcement while seeking to assure the House that no death due to oxygen shortage had been recorded in the state during the second wave of Covid.

“Strict action will be taken against hospitals, which will be found negligent. The state government ensured adequate oxygen supply during the second wave,” he said in response to a clarification sought by Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Zero Hour.

Soon after the Question Hour, Hooda said there as a contradiction on deaths due to oxygen crunch, given the inquiry reports from Hisar, Gurugram and Rewari, and the government claims of no oxygen shortage.

“Either the Leader of the House has been misled by the bureaucracy or the inquiry reports are wrong,” he said.

Hooda further said when deaths due to oxygen shortage took place across the world and the country, Haryana could not have been an exception.

To this, the CM reiterated there was no shortage of oxygen, maintaining that oxygen tankers were supplied to shortlisted agencies. “The government cannot be held guilty for agencies’ negligence in distributing cylinders to hospitals,” he said.

Hooda and other Congress leaders, however, demanded an inquiry to bring out the truth, even urging Khattar to take back his statement.

When the CM began explaining the Hisar inquiry report, Hooda said he was not concerned about one particular hospital or district.

The CM, too, did not yield to the pressure and remained adamant on his stance but admitted that some irregularities were reported from Hisar, Rewari and Gurugram.