Fact check: “No deaths due to lack of oxygen reported by the states”
Covid-19
On Tuesday, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha to a question on the death of patients due to oxygen shortage, Union Minister Pravin Pawar said that “no death due to lack of oxygen has been specifically reported by the states and union territories”. The government, however, said there was an “unprecedented surge” in demand for medical oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19.
We examine this statement for a factual basis.
Multiple hospitals reported oxygen shortage and subsequent deaths
During the second wave, multiple hospitals sent out SOS messages and tweets as oxygen supplies ran dangerously low.
On April 23, at least 20 patients under critical care died at Jaipur Golden Hospital in North West Delhi. On May 1, at least 12 patients died at Batra Hospital in Delhi after the facility fell short of oxygen. 25 patients died in Ganga Ram Hospital due to low oxygen pressure.
Reports of interrupted oxygen supply across states
On April 21, 24 patients died at the Zakir Hussain Municipal Hospital, Maharashtra due to an interrupted supply of oxygen.
Between May 2 and 3, 36 people died without oxygen in the Chamarajangar district in Karnataka as per a report submitted to the High Court by the Legal Services Authority headed by Justice Venugopalagowda.
The largest government hospital in Goa at Bamboli, Goa Government Hospital, reported death of 47 covid patients due to inadequate supply of oxygen between 12 and 13 May.
Reported toll: 619 deaths
As per data reported by various hospitals in news articles, independent volunteers and research associates collating data, a total of 619 deaths has been reported by hospitals across the country due to lack of oxygen between April 6 and May 19.
However, this data contains only deaths that occurred due to oxygen shortage in hospitals. A large number of people died at homes and outside hospitals, with families trying to arrange for oxygen, sending SOS messages and hoping for medical help.
“States reported zero deaths due to oxygen shortage”
Union health minister: “Detailed guidelines for reporting of deaths have been issued by the Union Health Ministry to all states/UTs. Accordingly, all states/UTs report cases and deaths to the Union Health Ministry on a regular basis.”
Gaps were noted in the covid deaths reported by states. It was also highlighted that states have not included deaths in COVID figures in case of comorbidities. Many states are revising their covid death numbers in the past few months. There is also a significant increase in overall non-covid death numbers reported by states in this year when compared to previous years.
Need for a probe?
Revision of death numbers due to COVID is understandable as authorities collect and vet data. However, a probe into these data points and numbers is the need of the hour to realise the true devastation caused by COVID, especially due to oxygen shortage.
However, as per a statement by Manish Sisodia on June 16, the Centre has denied approval to a Delhi government panel for probe into deaths due to oxygen shortage. No other state has so far requested for this probe.
Congress accuses Mandaviya of misleading the Rajya Sabha
Congress Rajya Sabha member K C Venugopal said “I am totally surprised by the reply… In every state, including Delhi, we have seen patients die because of lack of oxygen. We know all that. Actually, the minister misled the House. I will move a breach of privilege motion against the minister. He is giving false information to the House.”
It must be noted that there is no way one can pin the blame on the centre or states entirely. We know there were cases where the centre had supplied the oxygen but states didn’t have the right means to transport/carry it. Health is in fact a state matter. However, calling out that there were no deaths due to oxygen shortage is nothing short of a mockery.
Ban on commercial surrogacy: Altruism is the only way?
Opinion
Commercial surrogacy has long been viewed as a way out of poverty for many rural women in India, and especially as a last resort during the pandemic as many lost their regular jobs.
With celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar and Oprah Winfrey openly showing their support for surrogacy in recent years, this previously uncommon way of becoming a parent has been gaining momentum.
However, with a ban on the horizon, that option seems to be fading away.
The ‘baby factories’
With ~3000 fertility clinics, Indian surrogates cater not only the upper-middle class and upper-class Indians but also the clients from countries like the U.S., Australia, Israel amongst others. Such clinics also house hundreds of surrogates at a time for the duration of their pregnancy.
Mostly belonging below the poverty line, women prefer staying in these facilities to avoid the stigma that comes along with bearing a child without a husband, prying eyes of neighbours and surrogacy being compared to prostitution.
Impending restrictions
In 2019, the Modi government revived a 2016 bill that bans all forms of commercial surrogacy other than “Altruistic Surrogacy”. Terms of altruistic surrogacy:
Allows compensation only for medical expenses and insurance, meaning no compensation for surrogates themselves
Limits surrogacy to only childless Indian heterosexual couples in the age group of 23-55, who have been married for at least 5 years and have a certificate proving their infertility
Only a close relative in the age group of 25-35 can act as a surrogate
However, after being reviewed by a parliament committee of 23 members, the following changes were recommended:
Any “willing woman” can act as a surrogate
No need of 5 year waiting period and infertility certificate
Widows and divorced women will be allowed to avail surrogacy services
Insurance coverage for surrogates will be extended from 16 to 36 months.
Approved by the union cabinet, these changes will most likely be passed by the upper house of Parliament and become national law.
For the new law: Issues and loopholes with the system
The treatment of surrogates seems to be highly inconsistent in the current scenario and, in some cases, the women seem to have no rights at all.
With fertility clinics and their agents being the middlemen, surrogates rarely receive a copy of the contract signed between the surrogate and the parents
Inconsistencies between what clinics claim to be paying and what the surrogates said they were receiving.
Surrogates complain of being treated like objects by the clinic staff.
Health of surrogates’ ignored
Most contracts fail to protect the health of the surrogate. 70% of surrogates go through cesarean sections rather than natural birth even though the procedure is more invasive only because it is safer for the fetus and more convenient for the doctors. Some surrogates have gone through up to two dozen IVF sessions. The new restrictions might be a step in the right direction to eliminate these challenges and wrongdoings.
Against the new law
Altruistic surrogacy will lead to women being pressured into becoming surrogates in a patriarchal society like ours since no woman would willingly surrogate without remuneration.
Instead of a ban, more protection for surrogates was needed, which the law doesn’t really help with.
The new impending law is discriminatory toward the LGBTQIA+ community as it excludes them to avail surrogacy The only hope is that the Supreme court rejects this law as it violates the constitutional right to equality.
Who is the law helping?
With the Modi government insisting that commercial surrogacy takes advantage of underprivileged women in India, by taking away the remuneration factor, the new impending law seems to be benefitting neither the surrogates nor the people who benefit from becoming parents.
An uplifter for the downtrodden but a violator of human rights, the system of commercial surrogacy in India is one that definitely needs sensitive deliberation on all grounds. Is the new ban enough to solve the problem?
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