By Brij Khandelwal

Agra, Jun 9 (IANS): A two-man inquiry committee has been set up by the district administration to investigate allegations against the controversy shrouding 22 deaths due to oxygen supply suspension as part of a "mock drill" by a private hospital in Agra.

A video gonewent viral two days ago bringing to light the alleged heinous crime by the management of the Paras Hospital.

The committee will give its report in two days.

Following the furore raised in political circles, the Agra district administration has sealed off the hospital and registered a case against the owners under the Epidemics Act. The licence of the hospital has also been suspended.

The 50 odd patients in the Paras hospital, have been transferred to other hospitals.

Agra District Magistrate P.N. Singh has denied any shortage of oxygen which could have led to the fatalities. Talking to media persons Singh said, if relatives of the deceased complain, a thorough investigation could be ordered.

The official figure of death on April 26, the night oxygen supply was alleged to have been cut off resulting in 22 deaths, was only seven, sources said.

This mismatch in figures would be hard to explain, for the district administration.

This is the second time Paras Hospital has been in news. The same hospital was sealed last year, in the first lockdown for anomalies and patients had to be shifted to the Sefai hospital.

In Lucknow the state government has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the allegations.

Leaders of various opposition parties, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have demanded firm action against the hospital. Congress workers raised slogans at the hospital gate demanding arrest of the owners Tuesday evening.

The hospital management has been at pains to explain the content of the viral video, but the public ire and the backlog of pent up emotions of victims against the medical fraternity in general has raised the pitch so high that the so-called "friendly" sources in the ruling party and administration of the hospital owners, have backed out this time.

On the social media a lot of questions are being asked of the IMA which has not shown the courage to come to the aid of the doctor-owner of the Paras Hospital.

The second wave of Covid-19, which saw an alarming rise in the number of fatalities, also exposed the working of the private medical infrastructure which in many cases was accused of taking advantage of human sufferings by raising exorbitant bills.