Chandigarh, Apr 24 (IANS): At least six patients, comprising five Covid-19, died in a private hospital in Amritsar in Punjab early Saturday after they lost oxygen supply due to its shortage.

Family members of victims said there was no oxygen flowing to ventilators in Neelkanth Multispecialty Hospital, leading to their deaths.

They were informed late Friday night by hospital authorities that oxygen supply from the government was running short and they should make arrangement of it.

A doctor of the hospital informed the media that they had expressed concern several times over the delay in replenishing medical oxygen cylinders and also of running out of its supply with the district authorities.

"We were told by a nodal official of the health department that the priority of supplying oxygen is to the government hospitals. After that the demand from the private hospitals will be met," he added.

Punjab too is reeling under a severe shortage of medical oxygen amid a surge in Covid cases.