UP Police lodges FIR against private hospital for lying about oxygen

An FIR has been lodged against a private hospital in Gomti Nagar here for allegedly giving wrong information about the availability of oxygen at the facility and turning away patients, police said on Friday.

"An FIR has been registered against Sun Hospital on Wednesday night for giving wrong information about the availability of oxygen and asking relatives of the patients to take away their patients," a senior police official said.

The FIR was lodged against hospital operator Akhilesh Pandey at Vibuti Khand police station under sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act as well as under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), he said.

"More names could be added in the FIR during the probe," Station House Officer Chandra Shekhar Singh said.

The FIR was registered after a probe by the district administration found that the hospital "spread rumours" of oxygen shortage and circulated a notice on social media on May 3 asking attendants to take away the patients who needed oxygen support.

"It was found that eight jumbo cylinders and two B-type cylinders and concentrators were available with the hospital and there was sufficient oxygen (available)," as per the probe report shared with media.

Sun Hospital, located in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar area, was declared a COVID facility around a month ago.

While Pandey, against whom the FIR was lodged, was not available for a comment, the hospital administration said it would move the Allahabad High Court over the matter and apply for the anticipatory bail of the accused.

The Allahabad High Court had on May 4 said deaths of patients due to lack of oxygen supply is a criminal act and not less than a genocide by those who have been entrusted the task to ensure continuous procurement and supply chain of the liquid medical oxygen.