Centre asks States for data on oxygen shortage deaths during second wave of COVID-19

According to sources, this data will be collated and presented in the parliament before the monsoon session ends on August 13.

Moneycontrol News

July 27, 2021 / 19:16 IST

(Image: AP)

After much backlash, the government faced last week over their statement 'no deaths due to oxygen shortage', the central government has now written to states and union territories seeking data on deaths due to oxygen shortage during the second wave of COVID-19, sources told news agency ANI.

The data will be collated and presented before the ongoing monsoon session ends on August 13, the source added.

"The Centre has written to States for data on deaths related to Oxygen shortage. The data is likely to be presented in Parliament before the Monsoon Session ends on August 13," sources told ANI.

Last week on July 20, which was the second day the parliament was in session, the government stated that no deaths due to lack of oxygen had been specifically reported by states and Union Territories during the second COVID-19 wave. It was responding to a question raised on the same in the Rajya Sabha by Congress MP KC Venugopal.

In the written reply, Minister of State for Health Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated that health is a state subject and accordingly all states, UTs report cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

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