Hospital owner claims he cut oxygen supply for 5 mins, says 22 patients turned blue

Agra: District authorities in Agra have ordered a probe after a video of owner of a private hospital surfaced in which he claimed to have cut off the oxygen supply of patients on April 26, Hindustan Times' sister publication Livehindustan reported.

In the video tweeted by Livehindustan, the owner of Paras Hospital Dr Arinjay Jain is heard telling some people that the oxygen supply was cut for five minutes as part of a "mock drill". Twenty-two people may not have made it out alive on that day, Livehindustan reported.

Dr Jain, who is not visible in the video, is further heard saying that the there was an acute shortage of oxygen on that day, and the hospital administration asked people to get their patients discharged but no one was ready. "Then I decided to try something out - a mock drill of sorts - and asked the staff to identify those whose oxygen supply can be cut. That way, we will get to know who will die and who'll survive. The mock drill happened at 7am, no one knows about this," said Dr Jain, according to the video tweeted by Livehindustan.

"Twenty-two patients started gasping for breath and their bodies began turning blue. We came to know that they will not survive. Seventy-four others who survived in the ICU ward were told to bring their own oxygen cylinders," he added.

District magistrate Prabhu N Singh denied that 22 patients died that day. He said that on April 26 and 27, only seven patients died in Paras Hospital. "There was an oxygen shortage on these days, but it was augmented by diverting supply from Mathura refinery," Singh was quoted as saying by Livehindustan.

The district magistrate said that they have taken the cognisance of the vide and investigation has started, adding that action will b taken against those found guilty.

Chief medical officer Dr RC Pandey also said that seven patients died in the hospital in the said time period. The health department has, however, launched an investigation, said Dr Pandey.