Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday said that no COVID-19 patient died in the state-run hospitals due to the shortage of medical oxygen. He also said most of the COVID-19 fatalities have occurred due to the delay on part of patients in seeking proper medical treatment. Tope termed false the media reports that the shortage of medical oxygen resulted in the death of COVID-19 patients in some parts of the state. I have received reports from (government) hospitals in the state. No COVID-19 patient died due to the shortage of oxygen in these hospitals, he told reporters. Earlier this week, kin of 10 COVID-19 patients who died at two hospitals in Palghar district neighbouring Mumbai had alleged that a shortage of oxygen led to the deaths.
Read more about Rajesh Tope seeks increase in Remdesivir production, reduction in price on Business Standard. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has stated that the price of anti-viral drug Remdesivir should be reduced and the companies manufacturing the drug should double the production
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday rejected the Centre s claim that more than five lakh vaccine doses were wasted in the state, the worst hit by COVID-19 in the country. Tope contested the figure put out by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on vaccine wastage, saying it was not correct. Wastage quoted is actually national average wastage percentage. State wastage is lesser than half of the national average wastage percentage, Tope tweeted. On Thursday, Javadekar had saidthe Maharashtra government should not play politics over vaccination. Giving figures, Javadekar had said the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses supplied to the state till date was 1,06,19,190.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said that a complete lockdown of two to three weeks is required in the state to improve the health infrastructure in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, and added that such a step could be taken if the government is unable to cope with the situation. He, however, expressed hope that with the curbs in place at present, the government would be able to tame the surge. Tope also admitted that the chalta hai (laidback) attitude had creeped in after the government flattened the infection curve. We would need a complete lockdown for 15 days to three weeks even though I am not in favour of that immediately. If hospitals are overwhelmed, if there is a shortage of medicines and if the government is unable to cope with the growing number of patients then such a step can be taken, Tope told NDTV.