Jharsuguda: A man from Kanaktora village of Lakhanpur tehsil in Jharsuguda district alleged that his father, a COVID-19 patient who died April 30, did not die a natural death but was murdered at the hospital.
Tagging the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, District Collector and SP in a tweet, the deceased’s son Prashant Biswal Saturday brought their attentions to the incident. He also pleaded for an investigation and action against the accused.
According to Prashant, his father Nandlal Biswal was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at Jharsuguda COVID-19 hospital.
“I had talked to him on his mobile phone at around 9:00 pm Thursday. He said he was doing well. The next morning, I received a call from a doctor informing me that my father had died. I could not believe myself,” said Prashant.
He also claimed that Rs 10,000 in cash, a gold chain, a gold ring and a mobile phone are also missing from his father’s possessions. Later, the mobile phone was recovered from a neighbouring patient, but the remaining items could not be recovered.
“My father had told me that the health workers were asking for money to attend patients. Thereafter, I had sent Rs 10,000 to him through a staff. He was killed for the money, gold chain and ring,” he alleged.
When asked, additional district magistrate Pradeep Kumar Sahu, who is also in charge of the COVID hospital, said, “CCTV cameras have been installed inside the hospital. Such allegation of murder inside the hospital will be investigated and action would be taken against those found guilty.”
Echoing the same, Dr Hrushikesh Nayak, who is in charge of taking care of patients at the facility, said an investigation would be initiated on the basis of CCTV footage.
PNN
