Panaji, May 17 (IANS): The Congress on Monday filed a police complaint against Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Viswajit Rane, claiming that their "sheer incompetence, mismanagement and criminal negligence" led to the "deaths of hundreds of Covid patients due to oxygen shortage".

"This complaint reflects the pain and the anguish of all Goans, who have been completely failed and let down by the present state government on account of their sheer incompetence; criminal negligence; mismanagement and complete disregard to the lives of the peoples in handling the Covid-19 pandemic situation," the complaint filed by state Congress chief Girish Chodankar at the Agacaim police station said.

"Since the onslaught of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic i.e somewhere since April 2021, hundreds of people have died at Goa Medical College (GMC) due to shortage and or failure of the Government to maintain uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen," it said.

Health Minister Rane on May 11 said that 26 Covid patients admitted to the hospital had died on the day due to lack of oxygen. Days after the admission, Goa Medical College Dean, Dr Shivanand Bandekar claimed that it was not possible to link the deaths to oxygen shortage.

In all, 75 patients have died at the hospital over four days beginning May 11, due to oxygen shortage, forcing even the Bombay High Court's Panaji bench to step in and attempt to streamline the oxygen supply procedure.