Day after video surfaced of Covid-19 patient dying at chest hospital, Telangana govt defends its health care

The Telangana government has denied allegations of neglect in treatment of a man who succumbed at the Government Chest Hospital in Hyderabad on Friday.

A test report that came later revealed him to be Covid-19 positive.

In a disturbing video message to his family that surfaced on Sunday, the 34-year-old man on a hospital bed claimed that he was not provided life support even as he was struggling to breathe.

“Ignoring my pleas that I am unable to breathe, they … stopped. I am tired of imploring them. It has been three hours, I cannot breathe, I can feel my heart has stopped beating. Bye daddy, bye. Everyone, bye,” the man said in what was to be his final communication to his father who was in the hospital premises.

The man died shortly afterwards.

However, chest hospital superintendent Dr Mahaboob Khan said that his oxygen supply was intact and that his death occurred due to a heart condition called Myocarditis.

“Because of Covid-19, it seems his heart was affected in addition to lungs. In such cases, gasping would continue even after oxygen supply. There is no dearth of ventilators or oxygen supply in our hospital. As when someone should be put on a ventilator depends on a protocol,” Dr Khan said, adding that he was admitted in the hospital on June 24 in a frail condition.

According to Dr Khan, since the last 10-15 days, people in the 35-45 age range are coming with similar conditions and heart involvement is observed in such cases because of the Coronavirus. “In 90-95 percent cases, Covid-19 was in the lungs but unfortunately now it is affecting the heart leading to Myocarditis.”

On Monday, health minister Etela Rajender defended the health personnel at the hospital. “The said patient came to the Chest Hospital at midnight, after being denied treatment by several private hospitals. We took him in and provided 24-hour oxygen supply,” the minister said.

A head nurse working at the same hospital had succumbed to Covid-19, a few days ago. A total 258 employees of the health department are affected by the virus.

“Our health machinery is working dedicatedly under such testing conditions and sending thousands of people home safely after treatment. It is unfair that one or two such incidents are highlighted, thus, damaging the morale of our doctors, nurses and other hospital staff,” Etela said.

Expressing his displeasure over “the social media campaigns”, the minister even remarked that mobiles are allowed with patients to be in touch with their family but not to make videos showing government facilities in poor light.

The Telangana government states its Covid-19 death rate of 1.52 per cent is far lower than the national average of 3.04 per cent.

The minister stated that only 10 patients at the nodal facility for Covid-19 treatment – Gandhi Hospital – as with ventilator support.