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King Abdullah II of Jordan visited the new Salt government hospital west of the capital Amman on Saturday to confront the hospital director after seven coronavirus patients died following an oxygen outage.
A video of King Abdullah’s confrontation with medical directors at the hospital went viral overnight amid widespread outrage in Jordan following the incident.
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During the confrontation, King Abdullah could be heard angrily asking hospital director Dr. Abdulrazzaq al-Khashman why had there been an oxygen outage. An aide of the King then points to al-Khashman to adjust his facemask, which was covering his mouth but not his nose.
Al-Khashman has resigned alongside three of his deputies. At least five hospital employees were also arrested following the incident, according to sources.
People protest outside al-Hussein New Salt Hospital in the town of Salt, northwest of Jordan’s capital, on March 13, 2021. (AFP)
Jordan’s Minister of Health Nathir Obeidat also resigned after reports confirmed that oxygen supplies at the new Salt government hospital were cut off for about an hour.
A state of panic erupted in the hospital following the incident, as family members of COVID-19 patients rushed to the facility to check on their sick relatives, local media reported.
King Abdullah II ordered the head of the state hospital in Salt to resign, state media reported, as hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital to protest the deaths of least six COVID-19 patients after it ran out of oxygen. (AFP)
A Royal Decree was issued on Saturday approving the assignment of Interior Minister Mazen Faraya to manage the Health Ministry with immediate effect following the incident.
Obeidat, the sacked health minister, has handed in his resignation earlier after saying that he bore a moral responsibility following the incident that took place at the new Salt government hospital.
Read more:
Jordan’s health minister resigns after seven patients die due to hospital oxygen outage
Jordan ministers sacked for coronavirus rules breach
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