What's new

Pakistan: Covid patients die due to oxygen shortage in Peshawar

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
217,977
PESHAWAR: Tragedy struck Peshawar's Khyber Teaching Hospital when seven coronavirus patients passed away as oxygen cylinders from Rawalpindi reach the hospital on time.

Hospital authorities told Geo News that the incident took place on Saturday when the coronavirus patients died due to non-supply of continuous oxygen.

Hospital sources disclosed that patients in other wards of the hospital were also facing difficulties due to the absence of oxygen cylinders.

"The hospital receives oxygen cylinders from Rawalpindi," said Khyber Teaching Hospital spokesperson. "Oxygen cylinders from Rawalpindi did not arrive on time."

He said that patients are in more need of oxygen during winters, adding that the hospital was carrying out a probe to find out why the cylinders did not arrive in time.
 
PESHAWAR: Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) has suspended seven officers with immediate effect over the death of six coronavirus patients due to the unavailability of oxygen in the hospital.

Five patients in the isolation ward and one in the intensive care unit (ICU) died early Sunday when the hospital’s oxygen supply was disrupted.

The hospital administration had initiated an inquiry into the shortage of oxygen as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government sought a report within 48 hours. However, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said the government would hold an independent investigation if the hospital fails to furnish the report.

The report's findings issued the same day said the incident took place due to a “system failure”. It identified that a chronic lack of refilling oxygen tanks went “unnoticed, unsupervised and unchecked”.

“There is no back of oxygen storage/ supply system in the hospital as recommended by the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM),” the report stated.

The report also found that the supply chain department failed to provide the required number of flow metres for cylinders and highlighted that the hospital has no emergency rescue squad either.

It added than the management had failed to report an absentee staff of the oxygen plant, and stressed that the plant staff lacked training and skills while the biomedical engineer also failed to perform his duties.

Keeping all this in view, the management suspended seven including hospital director, facility, and supply chain managers. Furthermore, the management said it would investigate standards of the supply system, hire trained and qualified staff for the oxygen plant, establish a backup system on an emergency basis, and organise a rescue squad.

Read more: Pakistan's coronavirus positivity rate nears 10%

"Learn from systemic failure"

KP Health Minister Taimur Jhagra said on Monday that hospitals across the country "may learn from the systemic failures here".

KP COVID-19 situation

The province has recorded over 2,300 infections in the past seven days with an average of 329 cases per day. The virus has claimed at least 45 lives in the same period while 2,389 patients have recovered.

Since the outbreak, KP has recorded 49,676 and 1,413 deaths.
 
Six coronavirus patients have died in a hospital in Pakistan after oxygen supplies ran too low.

Patients' relatives have described how they begged for help as panic engulfed the government-run hospital in the northern city of Peshawar.

A delay in deliveries meant more than 200 patients were left for hours on reduced oxygen.

Hospital officials have blamed the shortage on the supply company but several staff have been suspended.

Pakistan is currently fighting a new wave of coronavirus cases, with a total of more then 400,000 infections and over 8,000 deaths reported since the start of the outbreak.

What is the scale of the pandemic in South Asia?Has the pandemic really peaked in India?

According to local media, the problems at Khyber Teaching Hospital began after the daily supply of fresh oxygen cylinders did not arrive on Saturday evening. The 300 backup cylinders were then unable to supply the required pressure for the ventilators.

Mureed Ali, whose mother is ill with Covid-19, told BBC Urdu that "throughout the hospital, we were running to save our patients, begging the medical staff".

He explained that some patients were eventually moved to the emergency room, where there was still a good oxygen supply.

But after those supplies ran low as well, several patients died, while many others deteriorated into critical condition.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTEPA

image captionThere are growing concerns over an oxygen shortage

Hospital staff eventually asked the patients' relatives to try to buy oxygen cylinders themselves, according to Mr Ali, but only some managed to do so.

A spokesman of the government-run hospital told the BBC that five of the dead were patients in the coronavirus ward and one in the intensive care unit. Officials say all of the dead were adults.

By 04:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Sunday, the delayed official oxygen supply finally arrived at the hospital.

Hospital officials described the shortage as "criminal negligence".

An inquiry found staff meant to be on duty at the hospitals' oxygen plant were not present at the time, and that the oxygen tank on site would routinely only be partially filled.

The director of the hospital and several other staff have already been suspended.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55211459
 
The most pathetic, useless and shameless government in KP history. PTI is only good for abusing others and making allegations but they cannot do anything right themselves.

They will now “investigate” the issue when they themselves are the problem.

Insufficient supply of oxygen has been a problem in KTH since June/July. Written complaints have been written to the admin not just by on-duty doctors but also patients, and no action was taken and this is the outcome.

The oxygen saturation levels of several patients would drop from 94% to 80% while switching from cylindrical oxygen to central oxygen.

Also, it is not true that 6 patients have died. They are downplaying the issue and covering it up. At least 30-40 patients have died due to this.

If Imran Khan was still in the opposition, he would now be jumping on his container and demanding the resignation of KP CM and health minister.

But now, all we are going to get is an “investigation” and nothing will come out of it and people will forget this incident.

A bunch of charlatans and hypocrites. Nothing less.
 
PTI has been running KP for nearly 8 years now and this is the result.

This government is for social media only. They cannot do jack in reality.
 
Taimur Jhagra is KP health and finance minister.

Last month, there was a huge family wedding in Taimur Jhagra’s family where SOPs were not followed and it caused a huge spike in COVID cases.

Many people from within his extended family passed away as well.

And the other day, he was giving sermons to PDM on their irresponsible attitude towards COVID.

This is the reality of this joke government.
 
Taimur Jhagra has become a minister only because of his family name. He has spent his entire professional career in the private sector working for consultancy firms.

He doesn’t know anything apart from using Microsoft Office. He has no idea about public administration and governance.

We demand his resignation.
 
The most pathetic, useless and shameless government in KP history. PTI is only good for abusing others and making allegations but they cannot do anything right themselves.

They will now “investigate” the issue when they themselves are the problem.

Insufficient supply of oxygen has been a problem in KTH since June/July. Written complaints have been written to the admin not just by on-duty doctors but also patients, and no action was taken and this is the outcome.

The oxygen saturation levels of several patients would drop from 94% to 80% while switching from cylindrical oxygen to central oxygen.

Also, it is not true that 6 patients have died. They are downplaying the issue and covering it up. At least 30-40 patients have died due to this.

If Imran Khan was still in the opposition, he would now be jumping on his container and demanding the resignation of KP CM and health minister.

But now, all we are going to get is an “investigation” and nothing will come out of it and people will forget this incident.

A bunch of charlatans and hypocrites. Nothing less.

KTH doesn't have a oxygen plant or portable concentrators?
 
KTH doesn't have a oxygen plant or portable concentrators?

There isn’t. They are now face-saving and stating that they have a 10,000 liter plant but it is not functional due to bla bla reasons.

This “inquiry” will be a joke. The government will do their own inquiry and come with a long list of lies to protect themselves.
 
There isn’t. They are now face-saving and stating that they have a 10,000 liter plant but it is not functional due to bla bla reasons.

This “inquiry” will be a joke. The government will do their own inquiry and come with a long list of lies to protect themselves.

So oxygen plant is non functional?
 
The most pathetic, useless and shameless government in KP history. PTI is only good for abusing others and making allegations but they cannot do anything right themselves.

They will now “investigate” the issue when they themselves are the problem.

Insufficient supply of oxygen has been a problem in KTH since June/July. Written complaints have been written to the admin not just by on-duty doctors but also patients, and no action was taken and this is the outcome.

The oxygen saturation levels of several patients would drop from 94% to 80% while switching from cylindrical oxygen to central oxygen.

Also, it is not true that 6 patients have died. They are downplaying the issue and covering it up. At least 30-40 patients have died due to this.

If Imran Khan was still in the opposition, he would now be jumping on his container and demanding the resignation of KP CM and health minister.

But now, all we are going to get is an “investigation” and nothing will come out of it and people will forget this incident.

A bunch of charlatans and hypocrites. Nothing less.

Get lost hypocrite.
 
There isn’t. They are now face-saving and stating that they have a 10,000 liter plant but it is not functional due to bla bla reasons.

This “inquiry” will be a joke. The government will do their own inquiry and come with a long list of lies to protect themselves.

Your hypocrisy stinks.
 
So oxygen plant is non functional?

They do not have a dedicated oxygen plant and outsource it. The admin makes a lot of commision and the supply was not a problem until the pandemic when they could no longer keep up with the demand.

They are now making excuses because it is inexcusable for a tertiary care hospital in a provincial capital to not have its own oxygen supply.

If this would have happened few years ago, this joker government would be quick to deflect the blame on the previous provincial government.

However, the problem for them is that this has happened 8 years into their rule, so they can no longer point fingers at others.

The only way they can restore credibility now is for the CM and health minister to resign. Everyone knows that this ** inquiry will not lead to anything and all they will do is brush under the carpet hoping that people will forget about this gross show of incompetence.
 
They do not have a dedicated oxygen plant and outsource it. The admin makes a lot of commision and the supply was not a problem until the pandemic when they could no longer keep up with the demand.

They are now making excuses because it is inexcusable for a tertiary care hospital in a provincial capital to not have its own oxygen supply.

If this would have happened few years ago, this joker government would be quick to deflect the blame on the previous provincial government.

However, the problem for them is that this has happened 8 years into their rule, so they can no longer point fingers at others.

The only way they can restore credibility now is for the CM and health minister to resign. Everyone knows that this ** inquiry will not lead to anything and all they will do is brush under the carpet hoping that people will forget about this gross show of incompetence.

But your leadership are spreading the virus and telling people to ignore the Govt. Do you agree with them or not?
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you to BoG KTH for directly supervising the inquiry & completing their work within 24 hrs. A sombre moment; please spare a prayer for the bereaved families.<br>We committed to make the report public. Hospitals across the country may learn from the systemic failures here. <a href="https://t.co/yENhDrctWJ">pic.twitter.com/yENhDrctWJ</a></p>— Taimur Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jhagra/status/1335777674703335424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How is the BoG blameless in this situation?
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you to BoG KTH for directly supervising the inquiry & completing their work within 24 hrs. A sombre moment; please spare a prayer for the bereaved families.<br>We committed to make the report public. Hospitals across the country may learn from the systemic failures here. <a href="https://t.co/yENhDrctWJ">pic.twitter.com/yENhDrctWJ</a></p>— Taimur Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jhagra/status/1335777674703335424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How is the BoG blameless in this situation?

Heads have to roll.
 
We were told the PTI has made tremendous gain in health? The PTI is in its second term and these sort of incidents are happening.

I remember how Shahbaz Sharif was used to be criticised for any loss of life due to medical negligence or a lack of medical infrastructure because he had ruled Punjab for two consecutive terms.
 
KTH coronavirus deaths: Inquiry holds current, former directors of Peshawar hospital responsible

PESHAWAR: The current director of the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), as well as his predecessor, have been held responsible for the failure of proper oxygen supply in the hospital, in an inquiry report released on Tuesday by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance and Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra.

"As promised, the KTH inquiry [was] completed by the MTI board, and as promised, GoKP is making it public immediately," Jhagra said on Twitter, referring to the Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) board that conducted a probe into the tragic deaths of six cornavirus patients due to lack of oxygen supply.

"This standard of transparency is important if we are to continue the journey of continuous improvement of our health system, a core commitment of our govt," he added.

In an unfortunate incident of oxygen supply failure in the night between December 5 and 6, 2020, six people — six in the coronavirus ward and one in the intensive care unit (ICU) — died.

"Interrupted oxygen supply on that night may have been a contributing factor" to the death of "a two year old child suffering from leukaemia and multiple complications".

'Would have saved many lives'
A preliminary fact-finding report was furnished the day after the deaths and the hospital's Board of Governors was tasked with a detailed investigation of the case.

"The unfortunate incident took place during midnight between 05.12.2020 and 06.12.2020 when the Oxygen supply front VIE tank was completely exhausted, the initial alarm came from the COVID isolation ward and the Operation Theatre (OT) at 12 midnight.

"At the time of incident, ninety (90) patients were under treatment in the isolation ward. Due to the inefficient mechanism of monitoring oxygen levels (dependent entirely on oxygen plant operator physically monitoring the alarm system of oxygen tank room) alarms in the ward were raised by the available staff only when oxygen levels depleted to near zero level.

"Had the alarm system been properly installed (e.g. extension of interface to wards) or adequately monitored (through an efficient system) then the initial alarms could have been raised when the level of oxygen dropped to 300 litres in the oxygen tank (trigger level of central alarm system in oxygen tank room). This would have saved many lives," the report noted.

Board chair, members submit resignations
The Board of Governors have issued charge sheets to the managers and subordinate staff who were related to the incident and formed a three-member inquiry committee to fix responsibility and recommend necessary action.

"The BOG itself conducted the enquiry for fixation of responsibility against officials above managerial level [hospital directors in this case] under the relevant rules," it added.

The Board of Governors, the report noted, also carried out its own inquiry into the officials above managerial level.

In addition, the BOG chairperson and all five Board members have submitted their resignations on "high moral grounds, dignity & integrity", while the report has been sent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

Failures leading to 'crisis at hand'
The report added that the staff responsible for the oxygen supply were negligent of their duties as were the current and former directors in ensuring system's improvement.

In its recommendations, the committee directed for action against those involved, including the biomedical engineer, human resources manager, and oxygen plant assistants and staff.

The team — under Director-General Health Services (DGHS) Dr Tahir Nadeem and comprising Human Resources Manager Yousaf Jamal, Facilities Manager Tahir Shahzad, Supply Chain Manager Ali Waqas, Biomedical Engineer Bilal Khan, and Oxygen Plant Assistant Niamat Ali, as well as two support staff, Oxygen Gas Attendant Shahzad Akbar and AC Plant Helper Abdul Wahid — "failed to establish a well-functioning oxygen supply management regime, or to improve the facilities available, in the context of the crisis at hand".

Multiple shortcomings, incidents of negligence
The report underscored that a vacuum insulated evaporator (VIE) oxygen supply contract — awarded to the Pakistan Oxygen Limited (POL) — expired on June 30, 2017, but was extended until June 30, 2020, by then-hospital director Dr Muhammad Zafar Afridi.

Former directors, including Dr Nek Dad, Dr lrshad Ahmad, Dr Inayat Ur Rahman, and Dr Afridi, "failed to advertise/extend the supply contract of VIE oxygen during their respective tenures", as did Dr Tahir Nadeem, it said.

Regardless, the POL continued supplying oxygen regularly after June 2020 despite the contract having expired earlier.

A back-up oxygen manifold system was decommissioned in 2017 for the construction of another project but was none of the hospital directors, including Dr Dad, Dr Afridi, and Dr Nadeem, "bothered to re-commission the backup system", with the "negligence becom(ing) even more damaging in the presence of COVID-19 pandemic", the report said.

More than one of Dr Nadeem's claims were found to be false and his neglected duties as well, the report added.

Findings

Hospital never demanded for more oxygen than that supplied by the POL despite having additional capacity in the VIE tank.

Required accessories, oxygen flow metre, and pressure gauge were found to be grossly deficient on the night of the incident despite presence of 260 portable oxygen cylinders.

The staff deputed at oxygen plant of the KTH did not possess pressure measuring gauge.

The oxygen plant assistant/operator was looking after the maintenance of oxygen supply as a "responsibility handed over to him informally by the previous hospital directors" but the individual "lacked the requisite qualifications and skills for such an assignment".

Most of the officials responsible for some stage of the supply chain management of oxygen to the wards continuously failed to perform their duties and never brought the matter to the notice of BOG.

Dr Nadeem and his predecessors failed in their primary responsibility of managing the affairs of oxygen supply of KTH in an efficient and effective manner.

Dr Nadeem failed to timely intimate the incident report to the relevant quarters, that is, the Board of Governors, Secretary Health, and the Health Minister; he also arrived at the scene after 2am and told the Board he did not inform anyone since it was an administrative matter.

The committee noted that "ideally the oxygen plant should have been operated through a Biomedical Engineer/Technician".

"The fact that low skilled operators were used for operations and maintenance of the oxygen plant indicates a complete failure of Dr Tahir Nadeem and his predecessors to realize the importance of oxygen supply and additionally indicates the failure of Dr Tahir Nadeem to put in place a technically proficient mechanism for oxygen supply management of KTH," it added.

The Board underlined that Dr Nadeem would be immediately terminated and repatriated to the parent department, whereas Dr Zafar Afridi and Dr Dad will be served with charge sheets. The medical director, on the other hand, would be warned to strengthen the early warning system in clinical wards / intensive care.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/325886-ox...-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-peshawars-kth-responsible
 
Back
Top