Told Union health minister difficult to ascertain oxygen-related deaths without probe: Manish Sisodia

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Sisodia said the Delhi government had formed a committee to probe the deaths and prepare a report so that the affected families can be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each.

“But through the LG (Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor), the Centre did not allow that committee to be formed. We are sending the file again to the Delhi LG for approval. We will carry out the probe with full responsibility and even punish those who were guilty,” he said.

Delhi has recorded over 25,000 fatalities due to the infection, he said, adding it will have to be probed how many of these were linked to the oxygen crisis during April and May.

“We cannot say that there was no oxygen crisis. The families of patients, hospitals were sending out SOS messages for help at that time,” he said.

The Delhi government had in June formed a four-member expert committee to look into the deaths due to the shortage of oxygen during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sisodia had subsequently said the Centre denied approval to the committee.

Last month, Opposition parties had hit out at the government for informing Parliament that no deaths due to oxygen shortage were specifically reported by states and Union Territories during the second COVID-19 wave.

On Tuesday, however, a top official said only one state has till now reported “suspected” death due to oxygen shortage during the second wave after the Centre sought data from them on such fatalities following the raising of the issue in Parliament.