Farmer with Covid symptoms turned away by two hospitals

Greater Noida: It took five and a half hours of going from hospital to hospital and a journalist’s intervention to get a 55-year-old farmer with Covid symptoms admitted for treatment in Noida.
The man’s attempt to get a checkup began on Saturday morning. Realising that the fever he had a Covid symptom, he went to Navin Hospital in Dadri, alone, around 9am. His temperature was checked at the hospital and his apprehensions seemed well-found — he was running a high fever. An initial screening was done and he was told that since he was exhibiting Covid symptoms, he should get tested and go to Sharda Hospital or GIMS.
“He was already being treated at GIMS for another ailment. We did not have enough ambulances to take him,” an official at Navin Hospital said.
His family’s account concurred, more or less. “They called me up and asked me to come and take him to either of the two hospitals. My mother also reached the hospital. When I got there, they said I was two hours late and an ambulance could not be provided,” the patient’s son, Ajeet, said.
So Ajeet called the 1075 Covid helpline and was asked to speak to a doctor. “I asked the person answering the helpline if an ambulance could be provided, but they couldn’t either. Then I called the 112 emergency number and asked for an ambulance. I waited two hours and it didn’t arrive. I called up the 108 emergency number then, but it wouldn’t connect,” he said.
Finally, they hired an auto to get to a private hospital in Greater Noida. “He was denied admission again,” Ajeet said. This time, they did not try calling for an ambulance and got in touch a local journalist, seeking help. The journalist then called up senior hospital staff at the Dadri community health centre. “An ambulance reached us around 2.30pm, only after the journalist intervened,” he said.
The man has now been admitted to Sharda Hospital.
All hospital officials said there just are not enough ambulances. Ajeet Singh, administrator of Navin Hospital, said, “We only said that since the patient was already being treated at GIMS, he should go there. Besides, we don’t have too many ambulances.”
Dr Amit Kumar, in charge of the Dadri community health centre, which eventually arranged for the ambulance, told TOI that the shortage of ambulances is a recurring problem. “Since most ambulances are being used to take patients to medical facilities and quarantine centres, at times, ambulances are very busy,” he said. But how did they manage to send an ambulance? “In emergencies, we coordinate directly with the official in charge of ambulance services in the district. We got in touch with the nodal officer for 108 ambulance service and one was sent in minutes. Sharda Hospital was notified about the case and the patient admitted easily.”