The patient’s second re-test came back negative on Saturday, and he has been shifted to a single room facility in the same hospital. His wife was on Sunday asked to attend to him at the hospital. (Representational)

Family members of a 67-year-old man who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus say they have been struggling to get themselves tested for the past week.

The man, a resident of Sector 7, Panchkula, whose samples were taken on June 19, had gone to a private hospital in Sector 21 for his dialysis on June 23 when his reports came back positive.

While he was shifted to a Covid-19 ward in the same hospital, his family, which includes his wife (64), a son (40) and daughter-in-law (38) along with their two children aged 12 and 6 years were not tested.

“It has been almost a week since my father tested positive but none of our family members have been sampled despite repeated requests. The DM had even reached our house when it happened and told us to isolate at home but never once were we even screened,” said the patient’s son.

The patient’s second re-test came back negative on Saturday, and he has been shifted to a single room facility in the same hospital. His wife was on Sunday asked to attend to him at the hospital. “They have called my mother to look after him and she has gone. We do not know whether she could have caught the virus,” said the son.

“Protocol for quarantine is not being followed. Nobody has even come to support us. We have small children and do not have groceries or even milk for them. No one is helping us. We do not know who to reach,” he added.

This is the same hospital where more than five cases including three patients on dialysis, a staff nurse and a doctor tested positive in the past week.

Asked about the matter, CMO Dr Jasjeet Kaur, via WhatsApp, said, “Sixteen from the family have been listed for testing. The patient’s son refused to give samples on Monday and will be approached again tomorrow. Our team will be visiting them again.”

Asked why the family was not tested soon after the patient tested positive, she said would find out about the matter, “but as far as health department protocols are concerned, we are not delaying samples”.

The patient’s son denied the CMO’s claims that they had refused to give samples. “Why weren’t the samples taken earlier?” he asked.