Probe on after Uttarakhand hospital 'hides' 65 COVID patients' deaths from authorities

Hospitals across the State are supposed to inform the COVID Control Room within 24 hours about the death of patients suffering from the infection.

Sixty-five COVID-19 patients died at Baba Barfani Hospital between April 25 and May 12 but the facility hid the figure from the State COVID Control Room, according to officials. File photo for representation.

A private hospital in Haridwar allegedly withheld information about deaths of 65 COVID-19 patients from the health authorities for over a fortnight in violation of the norms, officials said on Monday.

Cabinet Minister and State government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal said the matter is being probed and appropriate legal action will be taken against those responsible for the negligence.

Sixty-five COVID-19 patients died at Baba Barfani Hospital between April 25 and May 12 but the facility hid the figure from the State COVID Control Room here, officials said. When the hospital management was threatened with action it disclosed the truth, State COVID Control Room officials said.

However, the hospital management offered excuses like shortage of staff for not being able to provide the information on time, they said.

Hospitals across the State are supposed to inform the COVID Control Room within 24 hours about the death of patients suffering from the infection, Chief Operating Officer Abhishek Tripathi said on Monday. With many attributing the sudden rise in COVID-19 mortality figures in Uttarakhand in recent weeks to private hospitals not updating their death tallies daily, Health Secretary Amit Negi wrote a letter to all hospitals asking them to regularly provide figures to the State control room or face action.

Death summary of COVID-19 patients should be sent to the State control room daily by the hospitals or else tough action will be taken against the guilty under the Epidemic Act, he said in the letter.