The severity of the COVID-19 second wave in Tamil Nadu and India had brought the flawed medical services to light as the pandemic has pushed the governments to face a huge challenge of fixing the dearth of hospital beds, ventilators, and oxygen cylinders to provide timely and adequate treatment for the COVID-19 patients. The hospitals across the country are overwhelming with the patients, warranting the government to install additional beds and oxygen cylinders to accommodate the regular and virus-hit patients. 

Amid the state of shortages of medical equipment, an incident that happened in Tamil Nadu on Monday had shocked the state as it was surfaced with allegations of the shortage of oxygen cylinders. According to reports, at least seven people had died on Monday at the Adukkamparai Government Hospital in the Vellore district. Of these seven, five were admitted to the Corona ward while the rest two were kept at the general ward of the hospital. 

As the sudden demise of seven people had shaken the state, the relatives of the victims allege that they had died due to the shortage of oxygen in the hospital. They said that the oxygen levels of the patients had begun to drop drastically and the hospital staff had failed to address the issue and following the deaths, the hospital had claimed that they had died due to their infection and not due to the shortage of oxygen. 

The relatives of the victims alleged that the oxygen supply had stopped around 12 noon and the hospital staff had used cylinders to keep patients going. However, after 2 pm, the hospital was completely out of oxygen following which seven people had breathed their last. 

However, the hospital claimed that they had died due to their infections. The incident had drawn major attention and it had stirred voices that demanded a probe and urged the government to ensure that the hospitals are equipped with adequate medical infrastructure. 

While the relatives alleged that the patients had died due to the hospital's laxity, the health authorities had denied that they had died due to the oxygen shortage. Speaking to a news agency, the deputy director of health in Vellore said that there was no oxygen shortage and they all had died due to the infections for which they were admitted to the hospital. On Tuesday, the Director of Public Health had inspected and reviewed the hospital after the allegations from the relatives on the death of seven people. After reviewing, he has directed the hospital to disclose a detailed report on the deaths.