E-Paper
Covid-19 patient dies as family fails to find ICU bed in pvt hospitals for six days in Pune
Family claims the bed availability dashboard is not updated regularly.
Pune: A 44-year-old security guard who was tested Covid-19 positive died as he could not get an ICU bed for treatment, according to his family. For six days the family of the deceased contacted private hospitals with ICU beds as per the bed availability status displayed on Pune district online dashboard only to be denied the facility citing shortage of beds. The patient died on July 11.
The deceased of Kalewadi area was working as a contract security guard at a private firm in Pimpri-Chinchwad. His wife is a waste picker with Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP) organisation. They have three married sons. Wife and one of the daughters-in-law have tested positive and are hospitalised.
“My father was admitted to a nearby private hospital with fever and breathing problem on July 4. He was tested positive for Covid-19 with tuberculosis. Being an asthmatic for last 20 years, he also developed pneumonia symptoms. He underwent treatment at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) hospital in Chinchwad for two days before he was shifted with other positive patients to one of the quarantine centres in Akurdi on July 7. His health condition worsened at the centre as he was forced to climb the stairs till fourth floor. He was immediately brought back to YCM hospital and doctors asked us to look for a ICU bed hospital citing shortage. So, all family members visited many private hospitals for ICU bed in vain,” said the patient’s elder son.
The patient’s son said that many multi-speciality hospitals across Pimpri-Chinchwad denied admission citing shortage of ICU beds and his father was left to undergo treatment at the YCM general ward without ventilator and ICU facilities.
“On July 10, we sought KKPKP’s assistance when my father’s medical conditioned worsened,” he said.
According to the family, a private hospital agreed to provide ICU bed, but demanded Rs 2 lakh deposit. The family managed to pay Rs 20,000 and shifted patient from YCM hospital to the private hospital.
“My father stopped breathing when we were taking him to the private hospital in an ambulance on July 11. Later, the doctors tried to revive him, but he died within half an hour,” said the patient’s son.
Shrenik Mutha, a KKPKP member, said, “We contacted PCMC municipal commissioner and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) officials as the patient was eligible for medical assistance. It is sad that Pimpri-Chinchwad that prides itself as a medical tourism destination could not provide ICU bed facility for six days. The case also exposed the reality of bed availability dashboard. We can safely estimate that his total insurance cover was more than 5 lakhs. He did not die because of insufficient insurance cover, but lack of coordination between government agencies. He was betrayed by the system that is supposed to protect him.”
Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner Sharvan Hardikar said, “I will look into the case and take action. We will soon set up PCMC dashboard on real-time bed availability and are increasing ICU bed capacity to provide medical facility to as many residents as possible.”
