Telangana: Lack of PPE kit prevented ambulance operator from attending a struggling patient, who later died
HYDERABAD: A man who fell on the roadside and struggled for his life, was not attended by an ambulance operator at Chegunta in Medak district on Wednesday, since they did not have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kit and they feared that the patient might be suffering with coronavirus. By the time the dedicated Covid-19 ambulance reached, it was too late since he already passed away.
Nearly, an invaluable two hours was lost in search of these two ambulances. Chegunta police said that a 52-year-old man from Neredmet in Secunderabad, when he was returning to city from Kamareddy, requested the bus driver to stop the bus immediately, since he was feeling uneasiness.
In Chegunta, he got down the bus and laid on the road side, pleading help from the passers-by to shift him to hospital. On knowing about it, the police reached out to him and called an ambulance.
"I am from Secunderabad. Please help by immediately shifting me to a hospital. I am able to bear it," he was seen helplessly telling the police and locals.
An ambulance after reaching the spot almost one hour after a telephone call was made, the ambulance operator feared that the patient might be suffering with symptoms of Covid-19 and refused to shift him into the ambulance.
"The reason the first ambulance operator refused to attend the patient was that they did not have PPE kits. They feared that the patient might be suffering with coronavirus," Medak district authorities told TOI.
Police again made efforts, this time to arrange a dedicated Covid-19 ambulance. "It arrived almost after 45 minutes. By this time, the patient died. We do not know whether he was suffering with corona or not. The body was handed over to his family members," officials told said. Officials said that according to their family the patient had been suffering with asthama.
Nearly, an invaluable two hours was lost in search of these two ambulances. Chegunta police said that a 52-year-old man from Neredmet in Secunderabad, when he was returning to city from Kamareddy, requested the bus driver to stop the bus immediately, since he was feeling uneasiness.
In Chegunta, he got down the bus and laid on the road side, pleading help from the passers-by to shift him to hospital. On knowing about it, the police reached out to him and called an ambulance.
"I am from Secunderabad. Please help by immediately shifting me to a hospital. I am able to bear it," he was seen helplessly telling the police and locals.
An ambulance after reaching the spot almost one hour after a telephone call was made, the ambulance operator feared that the patient might be suffering with symptoms of Covid-19 and refused to shift him into the ambulance.
"The reason the first ambulance operator refused to attend the patient was that they did not have PPE kits. They feared that the patient might be suffering with coronavirus," Medak district authorities told TOI.
Police again made efforts, this time to arrange a dedicated Covid-19 ambulance. "It arrived almost after 45 minutes. By this time, the patient died. We do not know whether he was suffering with corona or not. The body was handed over to his family members," officials told said. Officials said that according to their family the patient had been suffering with asthama.
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