A series of scary stories from Indian hospitals show the health system is stretched to its limit
Jun 14, 2020, 10:34 IST
- In Hyderabad, the hospital carelessly gave Covid-19 victim’s body to another family.
- In Mumbai, viral video of dead bodies lying near coronavirus patients surfaced on the internet.
- A symptomatic patient was sent home in Noida
- A shocking video of LNJP Hospital exposed unattended patients lying in the corridors.
- An eight month pregnant woman died after she was turned away by 8 hospitals.
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India, the world’s fourth most coronavirus affected country with over 2.8 lakh cases, is unable to give proper treatment to patients and their families. While state governments have been boasting about providing the “best health care”, the Supreme Court of India on June 12 termed it as horrific — specially in Delhi where bodies of the dead are stacked next to COVID-19 patients. The Supreme Court has sought detailed reports from many states including Delhi, Telangana, and Mumbai.
Here are some scary incidents hinting at India’s poor health infrastructure —
In Hyderabad, a hospital carelessly gave Covid-19 victim’s body to another family
Hyderabad’s Gandhi hospital on June 12 gave a Covid-19 victim’s body to a wrong family at least twice. Separately, the coronavirus care was recently hit at Gandhi Hospital after 300 doctors refused to resume COVID duties after attendees of deceased patients attacked a doctor.
In Mumbai, viral video of dead bodies lying near coronavirus patients surfaced on the internet
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Whereas, another video of dead bodies wrapped in black plastic sheets lying in the same ward along with patients from Sion Hospital surfaced on the internet on May 15.
A shocking video of LNJP Hospital exposed unattended patients lying in the corridors
A video of news channel India TV on June 11 revealed the horror tale from Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jan Pal Hospital where a patient in the covid-19 ward was lying naked on the floor. Moreover, several dead bodies left unattended were kept in the same ward as three other patients. Several dead bodies were also lying in the corridors of the hospital
A symptomatic patient was sent home in Noida
In Noida, Uttar Pradesh a 57-year old symptomatic coronavirus patient was sent home soon after health authorities at Sharda Hospital collected his samples. His reports came positive soon after the patient died at his house in sector 82 on June 11. According to media reports, he had a cough, fever and difficulty in breathing and he succumbed to coronavirus after his condition deteriorated.
A son has to pack the body of his own father who was suffering from COVID-19
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Yet another horrific story emerged in Noida on June 12 , where investigation against health authorities has been ordered for forcing a son to wrap the body of his 68-year father after the patient shuffled between three hospitals before finally resting in peace. Even after visiting the three-hospital, the results of the coronavirus test came at least 11 hours after his death.
An eight month pregnant woman died after she was turned away by 8 hospitals
Neela, , a 30 year old pregnant woman, who was eight months pregnant died in an ambulance on June 7 after she was turned away by 8 hospital in Greater Noida. She complained of breathlessness due to rising blood pressure. The incident exposed the carelessness of medical authorities and massive crunch of beds during a pandemic.
A covid-19 patient first did not get a hospital bed or a space on crematorium ground
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Hari Prashad, a 42 year old man, who suffered from coronavirus was first denied admission in six hospitals in the city including LNJP and Deen Dayal Hospital. Prashad’s family struggled for 10 days to get him a bed and at last he died at Saint Home in Pitampura, Barkha Dutt reported.
And when he died, Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat, one of the biggest crematorium grounds, also denied space and asked them to take the body to Punjabi Bagh or any other crematory.
These are just a few of the examples but they tell the dire state of India's health system.
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