JOIN USBengaluru's hospital system fails Covid-19 patient at multiple levels
On Saturday night, a recently diagnosed Covid-19 patient found himself thrust to the edge of life after the government’s system to hospitalize coronavirus positive individuals failed multiple times at all levels
The situation first arose when the 36-year-old auto rickshaw driver from Banashankari, who exhibited breathlessness (a late-stage symptom of the disease), was dumped at around 1 am on Sunday morning by a BBMP ambulance at a Covid Care Centre (CCC) which had run out of beds.
He subsequently spent the next 24 hours in a bid to find treatment. In due course, he was dumped a second time by another Palike ambulance at the gates of Vani Villas Hospital at around 10 am on Sunday morning with no attempt made by the Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to register him as a Covid-19 patient.
“Eight hours passed before hospital staff were finally told about him,” said Dr Smitha Segu, Nodal Officer, Covid-19, BMCRI. She added that the patient was put immediately on oxygen at 5 pm, but that his prognosis was unclear.
These events transpired hours after the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DOHFW) issued a circular on June 4 which announced that the 108 Ambulance service had been informed to transport Covid-19 patients in distress, especially if they have breathing distress.
“The case is emblematic of the total failure of the system along multiple levels,” said the patient’s brother, Akmal Ameen, 43.
The patient (P22045) first developed symptoms of the disease on July 1. Tested on the following day, he was told on July 4 by Victoria Hospital that he was Covid positive. However, he was unable to find admittance at several private hospitals.
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A BBMP ambulance which picked him that evening spent the next several hours driving from hospital to hospital in an effort to find a bed. By 1 am on Sunday, having run-out of options, the ambulance is alleged to have dumped the patient at Hajj Bhavan, a covid care centre.
“There, the CCC refused to admit him,” said Rida Z (name changed), a social worker who was informed about the case at 1.15 am.
She added that when 108 Ambulance was contacted for help, that the service refused to take responsibility for the patient, deferring responsibility to the BBMP. A recording of the phone conversation with 108 Ambulance corroborates this.
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Randeep D, Special Commissioner, BBMP, who is in-charge of the ambulance, acknowledged that the protocol had failed. “The ambulance should have informed the district nodal officer. This officer has the authority to redirect the patient to another hospital with the bed. They just cannot leave the patient,” he said.
A call to the official 1912 grievance redressal helpline also did not yield results, Rida said.