Chandigarh: A fresh controversy has surfaced after it has come to light that ventilators provided by the central government to deploy in government hospitals are being currently utilized by private hospitals.
Confirming media reports, Bathinda government hospital civil surgeon Tejwant Singh Dhillon said the ventilators were given to the private hospital on the condition they will be returned after the pandemic. He clarified that the ventilators were procured during the first wave of the pandemic. Dhillon added that the ventilators were given to private players due to a shortage of manpower skilled to utilise them.
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"At this time of crisis, both government and private hospitals are working together to deal with the second wave. Those ventilators which were given to private hospitals will be taken back once the pandemic gets over," said Dhillon.
Meanwhile, when the media asked state health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu about rate-fixing by private hospitals, he said the matter has not come to his notice and added he would take strict action if any such case crops up.
Earlier on Tuesday, in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh requested for allocation of an additional 50 metric tonnes (MT) liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to the state.
He also sought their immediate intervention for 20 additional tankers (preferably conducive to rail travel) for timely evacuation of LMO from Bokaro.
Expressing deep concern over the imminent loss of lives due to oxygen shortage across the state, Amarinder Singh said with the mounting caseload, he was unable to increase Level-2 and Level-3 beds due to oxygen availability constraints.
