AMMAN (Reuters) – Jordanian health minister was fired on Saturday after seven people died after an oxygen outbreak at a hospital treating coronavirus patients, and police were deployed to detain hundreds of angry family members, state media and witnesses.
The lack of oxygen on Saturday hit the intensive care, maternity and coronavirus wards at the new Salt Government Hospital west of the capital, Amman.
Prime Minister Bisher al-Khaswaneh has fired Health Minister Nathir Obeidat. In a public apology, he said his government bears full responsibility for the incident.
‘This is a serious mistake that cannot be justified or accepted. I feel ashamed of it and will not justify it, “Khaswaneh said, adding that he was awaiting the outcome of a judicial inquiry.
Obeidat said he had “moral responsibility” for the deaths of the patients, who were treated for COVID-19 when the oxygen was out of oxygen for almost an hour.
King Abdullah visited the hospital while officials said they were meant to defuse tension. Anger against the authorities has led to civil unrest in Jordan in the past.
“How can a hospital like this see something happen?” he said when he entered the hospital of more than a million dollars, which only came into effect in August.
Some politicians said the incident indicated major mismanagement in state hospitals.
Jordan has seen an increase in COVID-19 infections mainly attributed to the rapid transmission of the coronavirus variant first identified in Britain, and has announced stricter measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 last week.
Jordan on Thursday reported 8,300 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily death toll since the pandemic first surfaced in the kingdom a year ago.
Jordan, with a population of about 10 million, recorded 385,533 cases of COVID-19 and 5,244 deaths.
Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Editing by Ros Russell, Alexandra Hudson and Timothy Heritage