Pune: After the Nashik oxygen tank leak tragedy on Wednesday, orders were given to check and maintain audit of oxygen tanks at all the COVID-19 dedicated hospitals in Pune. After the grim accident, in Nashik, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who also is Guardian Minister of Pune gave clear orders to officials carry out safety audit of oxygen tanks in the city and district.
In a dreadful incident, at least 22 COVID-19 patients on ventilator support succumbed at a Nashik public hospital after a sudden drop in pressure due to leakage in oxygen supplies. The tragedy occurred on Wednesday at the Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital run by the BJP-controlled Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC).
All senior leaders including President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and other senior Central and state leaders expressed their grief over the tragedy that occurred on the day of Ram Navami.
Already tackling with the issue of unreliable medical oxygen supply over the past two weeks, many hospitals in Pune are unable to receive the medical oxygen for treating COVID-19 patients. Some private hospitals in the city have also suspended the admission of new patients for the treatment.
After Nashik oxygen tank leak tragedy, Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol also called for an audit of the oxygen supply system in each hospital on Wednesday to ensure that the horrific incident should never take place in Pune. Mohol said that hospitals should be asked to get the audit report and submit it to the municipal corporation. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in an order issued on Wednesday also stated that every hospital should check the storage and maintenance of the oxygen tank.
Meanwhile, Pune continues to be the worst- affected district in India. The Pune district on Wednesday reported 10,393 new cases of COVID-19, taking the total to 7,42,451, according to the data released by health department. The death toll of the district also jumped to 11,647 with 112 COVID-19 patients losing their lives in span of 24 hours.
