A 52-year-old man in the Indian city of Bengaluru died this week after being refused admission by 18 hospitals, over fears of COVID-19. Reportedly, the man was experiencing shortness of breath for more than a day, but due to the lack of a COVID-19 test, he was not admitted. On June 28, the man died. His last words were: “I can’t take this anymore. Please take me home, or admit me in a hospital. I can’t breathe.”
Twitter users in India, are sharing reports of the ordeal faced by the man and his family.
According to news reports, on Sunday, his family members tried calling around 32 hospitals, and visited 18, including those on the list of designated private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment in Bengaluru. However, none of them agreed to accommodate him.
Social media users have highlighted the growing trend of medical apathy, and lack of humanity shown in such cases.
Tweep @shrikantbhure posted: “Horrible situation... It is like humanity died. Turned away by 18 hospitals…”
According to a news report by Times of India, the man, who was the owner of a garment shop in Austin town, had been complaining of high fever and breathlessness since Saturday morning. Both are symptoms of COVID-19.
His nephew took him to a reputed hospital on the Cunningham Road, and then to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in the city, on the same day. Both hospitals turned him away.
Facebook user Rajita Rathore posted: “How can a COVID-19 facility turn away a patient displaying the symptoms?”
He added: “At 10pm, we returned home. By then, we had arranged for oxygen cylinders. After an agonising night, we took him to a laboratory in Rajajinagar, on Sunday morning, to get a COVID-19 test done. After the test, our search for the hospitals began. This time, we tried to call ‘powerful’ people. However, nothing yielded.”
Recounting Sunday’s incidents, the nephew said: "We begged and pleaded before the hospitals. It was like humanity died. They did not allow us to even open the ambulance door," according to an indiatoday.in report.
“About 8pm on Sunday, we returned to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital pleading that he be admitted, and showed them the acknowledgement of the samples given for the test. They finally agreed. However, before they admitted him, he died at the doorstep of hospital,” the nephew said.
It isn't yet known if the man had COVID-19 infection or not. “We don’t know whether our uncle was infected with COVID-19, or we lost him to an atmosphere of fear created by the virus,” the nephew said.
“You name all the reputed hospitals, we visited them. They didn’t allow us to enter the building and as soon as we said that there was a case of breathlessness. They said there is no ICU vacant or no vacant bed. We don’t want others to go through this ordeal. The government must find a solution for this,” he added, according to a news report on theweek.in.
Twitter users in India are demanding strict action against hospitals who refuse medical care to suffering patients.
Tweep @RohiniRam18 posted: “Please take action against hospitals that don't admit patients. What a pathetic situation. Will it happen to a politician? Only common people are suffering.”
An Indian Administrative Services officer, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, shared an official note from the Government of Karnataka, which stated that medical establishments cannot deny treatment to COVID-19 patients. @iaspankajpandey wrote: “Private Medical colleges/ hospitals/ establishments cannot deny/ refuse / avoid treating COVID-19 patients and persons with COVID-19 symptoms.”
Tagging the country’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, tweep @vinaynan posted: “Please read this. We pay tax so we get some basic facilities, this looks scary, sir, please help. We don’t know what to do if somebody gets coronavirus....”
