“An ambulance sent on time could have saved my father’s life. We kept calling the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for two days; only empty assurances were made,” said Prakash (name changed on request).
Prakash’s father, a resident of Magadi Toll Gate, died outside the gate of Victoria Hospital. A tailor by profession, he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. “After getting to know that he was positive, he was immediately shifted to a room on the first floor of our house. When we tried to get him admitted to a hospital, we were told that we had to submit the BBMP report. BBMP officials claimed they would send an ambulance to pick my father up,” said Prakash, a 21-year-old college student.
When his father developed breathing difficulty, the family, out of desperation, hailed a cab and rushed him to Victoria Hospital on Tuesday night. However, his father breathed his last.
Following the incident, the BBMP sealed the road where their house is located. “After my father passed away, the BBMP sent an ambulance and picked up my 74-year-old grandmother. She has diabetes and hypertension. She has been admitted in ESI hospital now,” he said, adding that the BBMP said that all members of the family would be tested for COVID-19.
“This should not happen to anyone. No hospital should turn away patients. They should first provide treatment and then check for paperwork or reports,” he cried. Kusuma (name changed), Prakash’s sister, is contemplating legal action against the authorities concerned. “I have consulted two lawyers and we are waiting for hear from them,” she said. She also complained that the BBMP was yet to sanitise their house. “Don’t know how long this will take. But we are scared of the infection and our house must be sanitised first,” she added.
Several attempts to contact BBMP officials went in vain. BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar claimed to have no details of the case.
Meanwhile, BBMP is set to file FIRs against nine hospitals for allegedly refusing treatment to a 52-year-old garment trader. The State government, on Wednesday, had issued show-cause notices to the nine hospitals.
