'Many lives could have been saved if...': Parliamentary panel pulls up Centre on handling of COVID second wave

A parliamentary panel has pulled up the central government over its  handling of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, saying that many lives could have been saved if containment strategies were implemented in a timely manner. 

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, in its 137th report presented to Rajya Sabha on Monday, said the second wave was undoubtedly marred by high cases, increased deaths, shortage of oxygen and beds in hospitals, reduced supplies of medicines and other important drugs, disruption of essential health care services, hoarding and black marketing of cylinders and medicines etc.

"The committee is of the considered view that had the Government been successful in identification of the more virulent strain of virus in the population at an early stage and suitably implemented its containment strategy, the repercussions would have been less grave and many lives could have been saved," it said.

Even when the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in the country registered a decline in the aftermath of the first wave, the government should have continued its efforts to monitor the resurgence of Covid and its possible outrage in the country, the committee said.

It noted that the ministry had been cautioning states to maintain vigil and chalk out strategy for any exigencies that may arise due to resurgence of COVID-19 in their respective regions.

"However, the committee is unhappy to note that many states were unable to cope up with the arising uncertainties and medical emergencies in the wake of the resurgence of COVID-19 during the second wave that caused more than 5 lakh registered deaths," it said.

The committee also recommended the Union Health Ministry "audit deaths due to oxygen shortage", especially during the Covid second wave, in coordination with states to enable robust documentation of the mortalities.

The committee said it was "disturbed" by the ministry's "unfortunate denial" of COVID-19 deaths due to oxygen shortage.

There were several instances of patients' families pleading for oxygen and waiting in queues for cylinders and the media reports about hospitals running out of the life-saving gas and making desperate appeals when they were reportedly left with only a few hours of supply, it said.

The committee said that in its 123rd report it had warned the government of the possible shortage of oxygen cylinders and supply of oxygen in hospitals.

"The committee is disappointed to note that the ministry in its submission in 2020 had assured that the country is self-sufficient in oxygen and oxygen cylinders; however, their hollow claim was brutally exposed during the second wave," the panel said in its 137th report.

"The government failed to manage even distribution of oxygen in states and amidst the skyrocketing demand it could not maintain a steady flow of oxygen leading to an unprecedented medical crisis," the panel said.

It added that poor logistic management and the failure of the government in ensuring a quick response from the healthcare system speak volumes of the utter chaos in the government machinery, especially during the second wave.

Poor monitoring of the oxygen generation capacity and availability of medical oxygen, oxygenated and ventilator beds in hospitals further aggravated the situation, the panel said.