(GNB – Amman): At least six COVID-19 patients died on Saturday following a medical oxygen outage at the main government hospital in the Jordanian city of Al Salt.
State media on Saturday reported at least six deaths at the government hospital in the town of al-Salt, north of the capital, Amman.
Health minister Nazir Obeidat, who resigned after the incident, said there had been a one-hour delay in re-supplying oxygen tanks at the hospital.
“Between 6am and 7am an oxygen shortage occurred. Oxygen levels in the tanks went down,” he told reporters at the hospital.
It is not yet clear why there was an oxygen shortage, and an investigation is under way, Mr Obeidat. “I as health minister bear full responsibility. I submitted my resignation in relation to this issue”, Health minister Nazir Obeidat said to the media.
King Abdullah visited the hospital after the tragedy. Mobile phone footage shared on twitter showed the king talking to a hospital official. He was in military fatigues and wearing a black face mask.
Denouncing the incident, the king also ordered the hospital’s director suspended, according to al-Mamlaka TV.
Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh asked for an investigation to be conducted immediately, the official Petra News Agency said.
Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Saturday ordered an urgent investigation into an oxygen supply disruption at the Salt Public Hospital, which left an unidentified number of patients dead.
The prime minister pledged that the probe will be clear, transparent, and comprehensive and that the findings will be disclosed to the public.
Khasawneh said he ordered the President of the Judicial Council to lead the fact-finding team and ensure the results of the probe are released independently and clearly.
Mr. Obeidat is the third minister in Jordan forced to quit because of a health scandal in the last few weeks.
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