Dhenkanal: A COVID-19 positive woman patient breathed her last in front of the district headquarters hospital while waiting for treatment here in Dhenkanal district Friday. Even her daughter’s cries for help failed to move the medical authorities who did not attend the patient, leading to her death.
The incident, which has been talk of the town, has laid bare to how COVID patients are being mistreated at hospitals even as government has been laying emphasis on making available of all possible helps to COVID patients.
While, the health workers engaged to attend to COVID patients are regarded as ‘frontline COVID warriors’, the incident shows the contradictory. The incident has been a classic example of how these ‘frontline COVID warriors’ caused a patient’s death by allegedly not providing her required treatment.
The deceased has been identified as a resident of Joranda area.
According to sources, the victim’s daughter had brought her to the DHH after her health condition deteriorated. Her antigen test report came out to be positive for COVID-19. She expressed her desire to undergo treatment at home. After taking medicines, they came out of the DHH. But, hardly after travelling two kilometres, her condition further deteriorated.
She was again brought to the DHH. Her daughter crying all the while pleaded with the medical staff to provide immediate treatment to her mother. But none came forward, thanks to the fear associated with the disease. Finally, she breathed her last at the very front of the hospital.
On being informed, chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr Sujatarani Mishra reached the place and got the body shifted to morgue.
When contacted, CDMO Mishra said the woman had tested positive for COVID-19. The doctors had advised her to get herself admitted in the hospital. But, she had expressed her desire to undergo treatment at home. While going home in an auto-rickshaw her condition deteriorated and was brought back to the hospital.
Terming the allegation of mistreatment as baseless, the CDMO said “The auto driver left them outside the hospital and left the place. This led to her death.”
PNN
