The health of 75-year-old Amir Saab, who was dragged on the floor by his wife from the scanning room to the ward after he was denied a wheelchair at McGann Hospital, worsened on Sunday following which he was shifted to a private hospital in the city.
McGann Hospital is a government hospital attached to the Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS). A video of him being dragged on May 31 had gone viral triggering a debate on the state of affairs in government hospitals.
On Sunday morning, Mr. Saab developed breathing problems and became unconscious. The CT scan and other medical investigations done at McGann Hospital revealed that he had a posterior cerebral artery infarct resulting in cerebral ischemia.
District surgeon Raghunandan R. told The Hindu that as Mr. Saab needed to treated by a neurosurgeon, the doctors at McGann had referred him to NIMHANS in Bengaluru. However, considering his age and health, his relatives decided to avoid travelling to Bengaluru and took him to the private multi-specialty hospital.
Narayana Panji, neurosurgeon at the private hospital, said the patient would be subjected to doppler ultrasound and MRI scan on Monday to assess damage to brain tissues. Meanwhile, Mr. Saab’s wife, Famida, was treated for vomiting and anxiety neurosis at McGann on Saturday night.