Four patients with Covid-19 die from lack of oxygen, investigation opened

“The Al-Husseiniya prosecutor’s office (Sharqiya governorate, northern Egypt) summoned the director of Al-Husseiniya hospital to question him about the death of four people [atteintes du
Covid-19] due to lack of oxygen, ”said a judicial source on Sunday, without specifying the date of these deaths.

Since Saturday, many indignant Internet users have relayed on social networks a video of a hospital ward with patients and a voice affirming “everyone died in intensive care”. Al-Husseiniya hospital is identified in the comments and the prosecution confirmed that it was indeed that establishment. The 45-second video also shows caregivers attempting to revive patients.

Covid-19 cases are on the rise

Health Minister Hala Zayed reacted on Sunday, saying in a statement that “sufficient oxygen stocks were available in all hospitals taking care of patients with Covid-19”. A spokesperson for his ministry, Khaled Megahed, added that the four deaths were recorded “at different times”. “Most were elderly people with chronic illnesses and victims of complications from the new coronavirus, which led to their deteriorating health” and their death, he said in the statement.

Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world with some 100 million inhabitants, has recorded more than 140,000 cases of Covid-19, including nearly 7,800 deaths. But officials admit that the number of cases is higher than the figures announced, as only those who have tested positive in the laboratories of the Ministry of Health are recorded. After a brief lull, contaminations have drastically increased in recent months, from around 100 new cases recorded per day in October to around 1,400 new cases per day today.