The health officials at Nalgonda District Hospital had some solace on Sunday when the youth in his mid-twenties, who was put on ventilator support on Saturday but did not survive, tested negative.
The youth was taken to ICU just when the staff were changing shifts on Saturday afternoon. Within minutes, all doctors, nurses and patient care workers were evacuated. At least 10 critical patients were also shifted to another acute medical care unit.
The body was packed off carefully and kept in a deep freezer at the mortuary. By 3 p.m., the ICU was sanitised and sealed.
According to sources, the youth was an alcoholic and a second contact of a COVID-19 patient from Miryalaguda.
On Saturday, an assistant professor-cum-doctor set off the alarm bells after he panicked over the patient’s situation and moved him from the COVID-19 isolation ward to ICU.
According to doctors who spoke to The Hindu on condition of anonymity, the two ventilators allotted to the isolation ward were never installed, and that was the only reason, the doctor pressed the panic button.
District Hospital Superintendent Narsimha said that the patient was taken to the isolation ward as he was continuously coughing and had alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
“He died before he was taken to the ICU. The staff would have definitely put him on ventilator if there was a need. The ICU and isolation ward are close by,” he replied.
Dr. Narsimha evaded questions related to ventilators at the isolation ward.
