Covid +ve man finally operated 2 weeks after stabbing, thanks to Odisha rights body

Ranjit Nayak was turned away by at least 10 hospitals who refused to conduct surgery on him since he was Covid-19 positive.

A 21-year-old victim of stab wound, who was denied treatment in at least 10 private and government hospitals in Bhubaneswar over the last 12 days, was finally operated in a private hospital on Tuesday night following interventions by Orissa human rights commission.

The youth was operated after his family approached the Orisha human rights commission seeking its intervention(Sourced Photo)

Ranjit Nayak, 21, of Chandrasekharpur area of Bhubaneswar was left seriously injured after his neighbours stabbed him on September 8 evening following a fight over theft of a mobile phone. As his anxious parents carried him to a private hospital in the city, their nightmare began as each of the hospitals they approached refused to treat him and kept him referring to another one.

Finding no help from hospitals, Nayak’s brother approached the OHRC on Tuesday seeking prompt action following which the commission asked the Kalinga institute of medical sciences hospital in the city to immediately conduct surgery on the wounded youth while asking the authorities to explain why they failed to render treatment to a patient. He was finally operated on late Tuesday evening.

In his petition, the injured youth’s brother, Pabitra Nayak had alleged that the victim was refused treatment by private and government hospitals in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar such as KIMS, SUM hospital, Vivekananda hospital, AMRI hospital, KIDS hospital, Shriram hospital, Ashwani hospital, Capital hospital, SCB medical college & hospital and AIIMS Bhubaneswar as Nayak had tested positive for Covid-19.

The OHRC observed that the patient cannot be denied surgery citing Covid infection. The commission also asked the state health secretary to probe the alleged medical negligence and submit a report during its next hearing on October 15.

The petitioner in his complaint alleged that denial of treatment to a patient was a violation of his human rights that was guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. He further alleged that the hospitals refused to conduct the surgery though the patient was free from Covid subsequently.