'No death at Bhopal COVID-19 centre as power back-up worked'

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed Kiyawat to probe the incident and submit a report.The CMs directive came following the accusation from the opposition Congress that three patients died after power lines tripped at the COVID-19 treatment centre, the official said.

No patient died due to power outage at the coronavirus treatment centre of Hamidia Hospital here in Madhya Pradesh a day earlier, a top official said on Saturday. ''No patient on ventilator died at the coronavirus treatment centre during 5.45 pm to 7.15 pm given that power back-up worked,'' Bhopal Divisional Commissioner Kavindra Kiyawat told PTI.

In his report, Kiyawat said the back-up supply at the trauma unit of the facilitydidn't work for at least one and a half hours, an official release said. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan directed Kiyawat to probe the incident and submit a report.

The CM's directive came following the accusation from the opposition Congress that three patients died after power lines tripped at the COVID-19 treatment centre, the official said. The report sought action against the people concerned, it added.

Earlier in the day, state Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta said, ''the death of three people due to the black out at the COVID-19 centre of Hamidia was unfortunate''. He had demanded resignation of MP Health Minister and Medical Education Minister.