The Jordanian health minister resigned in response to anger following the tragic incident that shook Amman on Saturday.
The Qatari embassy in Jordan offered its deepest condolences to the families of patients who died in Al Salt hospital on Saturday due to a lack of oxygen.
“The Embassy of the State of Qatar in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan offers its deepest condolences to those who moved to His Almighty’s mercy today in the incident at Al-Salt Hospital, praying to God Almighty has mercy on them and for Him to preserve the leadership and the people of Jordan, and to lift this epidemic from us,” tweeted the consulate.
Seven patients died at the government hospital when oxygen was cut for long hours, Jordanian state news agency [PETRA] reported. The intensive care unit as well as the maternity and coronavirus wards were affected, according to a Reuters report.
Several witnesses told Al Jazeera that they had no choice but to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation [CPR] on their own family to save them amid the oxygen cut.
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In response, more than 150 people protested outside the hospital demanding accountability for what they said was medical neglect.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II himself attended the protest as a show of solidarity with the relatives of the victims and confronted the hospital director to question how such an incident could occur.
The king suspended the hospital director while Health Minister Nathir Obeidat later stepped down, confirming he “bears all moral responsibility for the incident”.
