Karnataka High Court suggests judicial inquiry into death of 24 patients in Chamarajanagar COVID-19 facility due to lack of oxygen

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday opined that a judicial inquiry will have to be conducted into the death of 24 patients due to lack of oxygen at a COVID-19 treatment facility in Chamarajanagar district..In its order, the Bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar recorded,"Prima Facie, we are of the view that this is a fit case where inquiry will have to held by appointing a retired judicial officer.”.The Court was hearing a case registered suo motu after it received two letters describing the poor hospital facilities for COVID-19 patients in the State..When the matter was taken up for hearing today, the Court orally opined,“The Chamarajanagar incident is a serious issue. Around 24 people died. Mr. Advocate General, we suggest that there should a judicial inquiry into the incident by a Retired Judge of the High Court…”.At this juncture, Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi informed the Bench that a senior IAS officer had already gone to Chamarajanagar to find out more about the incident. He added that the civil servant’s report would be produced before the Court tomorrow.“The State will not hesitate to punish those who are responsible...The State wants to find out the persons responsible for the lapse (of oxygen). If there was any lapse, we don't want to repeat it. We have no problem with the judicial inquiry," AG Navadgi said..Members of the Bar present at the hearing told the Court that a similar incident had taken place in the district of Kalaburagi as well, where many persons died in a hospital due to lack of oxygen..As the hearing progressed, the Court also questioned State on the mechanism by which it was supplying oxygen to various hospitals in the State. The State government was directed to place on record data on the same..The matter will be next heard on May 5..In a 24-hour period from Sunday morning, 23 patients, including COVID-19 positive persons, died at a hospital in Chamarajanagar due to shortage of oxygen..Reportedly, a total of 250 oxygen cylinders were sent to the facility from Mysore in the middle of the night as an emergency measure after the oxygen cylinders that was supposed to come from Ballari did not reach due to a delay in supply.