A construction labourer, identified as Raju hailing from Dharmavaram town in Anantapur district, died on Friday due to shortness of breath after battling for life for six hours on the Government General Hospital (GGH) premises here, with no one attending to him.
The labourer, who was working on the village secretariat building, developed COVID-19 symptoms on Thursday night after returning from work. His daughter and wife took him two private hospitals in Anantapur. As they were turned down, the family members admitted Raju to the GGH, which has been declared a dedicated COVID-19 facility, at around 3 a.m.
Raju’s daughter, who is pregnant, alleged that despite her running around in the hospital pleading with the staff to have a look at the patient, none bothered even as he was gasping for breath.
Raju was lying on the road leading to the main entrance of the hospital within its premises till 9 a.m., her daughter alleged. She further said that the hospital staff repeatedly told her that doctors would come at 9 a.m. and they needed to wait till then.
This is not the first instance of alleged negligence to be reported from the GGH.
That was why there was a clamour to convert it into a designated COVID-19 hospital to which the government conceded. However, the promise of the best healthcare services to the COVID-19 patients appears to be remain on paper.
Lokesh flays govt.
Meanwhile, TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh, in a statement, said: “I am shocked at the manner COVID-19 patients are dying on the streets for lack of the required healthcare support. It is time the YSRCP government stopped publicity and got down to work to ensure adequate healthcare services to the patients.”
Meanwhile, GGH Superintendent M. Ramaswamy Naik said that the patient reported at the Triage facility, after approaching various nursing homes in the town.
“The patient was brought to the Triage area at around 5 a.m. as he was gasping for breath. By the time our staff tried to shift him to the ICU, he died. As he was brought in a serious condition, he could not be revived,” Dr. Ramaswamy said.
