Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Aam Aadmi Party has ripped into the Sawant Govt for worsening the oxygen crisis by disallowing the refilling of oxygen cylinders brought by relatives and private individuals helping patients in need. Reacting furiously to the news of the latest order where District Collectors permission is required for refilling oxygen cylinders, State Convenor Rahul Mhambre called it a “sadistic” move that could only be made by someone who derives pleasure from inflicting further pain, suffering, & humiliation on desperate patients and relatives.
Highlighting another incident of oxygen supply running out, this time in GMC Ward 147 last night, Mhambre said that CM Sawant has not only failed to make any serious attempt to solve the oxygen crisis, but has instead passed such draconian orders that is costing the lives of patients.
“Such incidents of oxygen supply running out in the middle of the night in entire wards are becoming routine at GMC. Imagine the plight of relatives who attend to the patients all day, and can’t even sleep at night out of fear of losing their loved one due to oxygen shortage”, Mhambre said.
Mhambre expressed regret that it took the deaths of 800 Goans before CM Sawant finally visited the Covid ward today. Mhambre slammed the CM for continuing to justify the deaths of covid patients, saying that it does not matter to the dead patient whether it was a “delay” in oxygen supply or whether it was a “shortage”.
Stating that innocent lives has been lost, Mhambre opined that CM Sawant and HM Rane should be held directly responsible for the deaths of patients caused by the Govt’s failure to provide oxygen.
“Just as the CM & HM blame the people for deaths citing comorbidities and delay in admission, it is only fair that they now take the blame for the deaths that occur due to their inability to guarantee oxygen supply. Directorate of Health Services should now mark “Failure of BJP Govt to provide oxygen” as the cause of death on the same mortality bulletin that blames people for the other cause of deaths”, Mhambre said.
Mhambre pointed out that Goa is the only state in the country that publishes a daily mortality bulletin, stating that the sole intention of this bulletin is to shift the blame of deaths on the people themselves. He repeated the AAP’s demand that the mortality bulletin should be stopped, and an Oxygen Bulletin should be published. He said the same officials who are wasting time on mortality bulletin, should instead be given the more important task of auditing the oxygen supply in Goa, by finding out how much oxygen reached Goa vis-a-vis its daily requirement, how much oxygen was sent to which hospitals, and where and why any oxygen shortage was experienced.
