Covid-19 patient walks to cops seeking ambulance to reach KIMS

Police officials deployed on duty and media persons covering ‘Sunday lockdown’ at the Channamma Circle in Hubballi had anxious moments after a Covid-19 positive patient, staying in a lodge nearby, walked to them complaining of non-availability of ambulance to take him to Karnataka Institute of Medical Science (Kims) here.

The patient, aged about 45 years and a native of Uttar Pradesh, is working in Hubballi as a contractor for a railway project. He was staying in a lodge near the Circle for last four months.

He had showed symptoms two days ago, and got himself tested. On Saturday night at 10.30 pm he received a message on Aarogya Setu App confirming him to be Covid-19 positive. The message said an ambulance would come to pick him up. And since 11 pm on Saturday he has been trying to reach Kims, requesting the authorities to send an ambulance. However, his calls went unanswered.

On Sunday at 10 in the morning, he walked out of the lodge and informed the police that he was a Covid-19 positive patient, and was unable to get an ambulance. The police personnel, and the media persons ran helter-skelter after hearing him.

“I have been trying to contact Kims since Saturday night, but no one is responding. I have tested positive and have mild symptoms,” he informed a section of media persons from a distance.

Four ambulances

As soon as the issue was brought to the notice of Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil, four ambulances rushed to the spot at 11.30 am to pick up the patient. This is not for the first time that Covid-19 patients have been made to wait for long hours to be shifted to Kims. A few days ago, a family at Moorusavira Mutt was made to wait seven hours for an ambulance.