A man in Delhi who tested positive for the coronavirus has alleged that he and his family members were denied admission to the Lok Nayak Hospital in the national Capital for treatment, ANI reported.
The patient, identified as Naseem, is a resident of Choori Walan area in Chandni Chowk. He said he tested positive for the virus after getting an RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test from a private lab in the Capital. Several members of his family had also tested positive. However, when he reached the Lok Nayak Hospital along with his son, nephew and brother to seek treatment, authorities refused to provide treatment, he said.
In a video message recorded from outside the hospital premises, Naseem said: “We all have tested positive for Covid-19. But none of the healthcare staff is listening to us.” Naseem said he had also informed the police about their health condition. “Now, that we have reached here, I urge the hospital authorities to help us and admit us,” he added.
The man added that he walked from his home to the hospital on foot so that seven other members of his family who had tested positive could be called for treatment. One of them is a two-month old infant, he added. “But nobody is helping us.”
However, Dr JC Passey, the medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital, claimed three members of Naseem’s family were admitted to the hospital. “This includes the elderly and other patients with co-morbid conditions and the two-month-old infant,” he told ANI.
Passey cited the Delhi government’s guidelines, under which the hospital only admits Covid-19 patients who fall under category three. This includes those who are either very sick or require intensive care unit and ventilation support.
“There are three kinds of centres. People with mild symptoms or no symptoms will go to Covid-19 care centres,” he said. “Those with moderate symptoms will go to dedicated health centres and only people who are severely infected will be admitted to our big hospitals such as the Lok Nayak Hospital,” he added.
On April 7, the central government had issued guidelines for all states to classify hospitals under three categories – Covid Care Centre, Dedicated Covid Health Centre and Dedicated Covid hospital. All three types of facilities dedicated to the coronavirus will have separate earmarked areas for the suspect and confirmed cases, the Centre had said.
Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendra Jain said only serious patients will be admitted to the hospitals while others will be taken to Covid-19 care centres. “If we don’t do this, everyone who is infected will go to hospitals and crowd there. Then where will we treat our severe patients?” Jain said. “You have to understand that you don’t need tertiary care because you tested positive.”
Delhi has reported 2,248 coronavirus cases with 48 deaths as of Thursday.
Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients in India rose to 21,373 on Thursday morning, but the Indian Council of Medical Research said at least 21,797 people have tested positive so far. The toll increased to 681, while the number of patients who have recovered stood at 4,257.
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