The Central government on Tuesday said no one died due to oxygen shortage in the country during the second Covid-19 wave. The govt, however, admitted that demand for medical oxygen saw an unprecedented surge in the second wave.

Congress leader KC Venugopal asked the government whether it is a fact that a large number of Covid-19 patients died on roads and hospitals due to acute shortage of oxygen in the second wave.

Responding to the question, MoS Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar said, “Health is a State subject. All states/UTs report cases and deaths to Union Health Ministry on a regular basis, as per detailed guidelines for reporting deaths.”

“No deaths due to lack of oxygen have been specifically reported by states/UTs,” the junior health minister told the Upper House.

She went on to assert that there are no reports of concealing of death by the State/UT government. However, some of states based on the reconciliation of mortality data have revised their figures, she added.

On the total demand of oxygen by the states and total oxygen supplied, the ministry said the supply of medical oxygen to hospitals is determined by contractual arrangements between the hospital and the medical oxygen supplier concerned.

“However, due to unprecedented surge in demand of medical oxygen during the second wave – the demand in the country peaked to nearly 9000 MT as compared to 3095 MT during the first wave – the central government had to step in to facilitate equitable distribution to the states.