Despite the high demand for hospital oxygen, it had to be transferred from Lima, almost 1000 km away from Talara. | Photo: EsSalud. Peru

Lima, April 12 (RHC)-- The representative of the Ombudsman in the northern Peruvian area of Piura, Cesar Orrego, denounced that 13 patients with COVID-19 lost their lives this week at the Hospital II of Essalud Talara, because the isotank that supplies them with hospital oxygen had run out.

According to Orrego, the Essalud II hospital "was running out of oxygen" and it needed 100 balloons of this medicinal input.  Faced with this situation, he pointed out that the Ombudsman's Office coordinated with the regional authorities so that it would be supplied with oxygen.

"At 2 o'clock in the afternoon (local time), when I personally communicated with the director Ricargo Zúñiga, of the Essalud hospital in Talara, he reported that there were 13 dead.  They ran out of medical oxygen.  They have an isotank.  Two weeks ago, I visited that hospital and there were problems with the ICU beds that were not being used," said Orrego.