Mangaluru hospital clarifies on treating Bhatkal girl

A Mangaluru-based private hospital has clarified that a 6-year-old girl from Madina Colony was treated for a fractured elbow, only after informing the Dakshina Kannada district health officials as she came from a 'COVID-19 hotspot'.

Reacting to a report in DH and a few other newspapers, which said that the girl's family had 'faked her identity' to avail treatment in Mangaluru, the hospital said, as soon as the woman and her daughter came to the hospital on May 11, they had clearly mentioned that they had come from Bhatkal, and also produced their Aadhar cards. At no point of time had they hid the facts, a statement from the hospital said.

On admission, the girl and her mother were kept in isolation and the matter was reported to the district health officials the same day.

"The throat swab of both, the child and its mother, were sent for COVID-19 test on May 11 evening itself. The next morning, the girl was operated upon and her fractured elbow was set right," the hospital said.

The girl recovered, and the swab tests of both, the girl and her mother, came negative for COVID-19. Considering their reports, the girl was discharged on May 13, the statement said.