In a shocking incident, the result of a COVID-19 test on a man was intimated to his family members after his death in Ganjam district, the epicentre of the pandemic in Odisha.
Family members alleged the district administration took 11 days to disclose the test results, as a result of which the deceased could not be provided the treatment required for a COVID-19 patient.
The incident took place in Ganjam’s Bhanjanagar area where the victim, identified as Basant Mohanty, an employee in the State Forest Department, complained of cold and sneezing on July 10. After two days, his swab was collected.
“We were told that if no call came within three days, it should be presumed that my father had tested negative. As we did not get any call, we brought him back home. On July 19, my father again showed signs of deterioration in health. On the night of July 21, he died,” said Diganta Mohanty, son of the victim, on Friday.
Mr. Diganta Mohanty said, “We performed last rites on July 22. It sounded like a cruel joke when on July 23, the Bhanjanagar Tahasildar informed us that my father had tested positive for coronavirus and an ambulance was being sent to shift him to a COVID hospital.”
While the family is grieving over the untimely death, the information came as shocker. Relatives, being under the impression that he was not infected, visited and saw him at close proximity.
“Now, around 25 of my relatives are going through harrowing times under the fear that they might have caught infections. The administration is squarely responsible for the mess we are now in,” said the deceased person’s son.
Bhanjanagar Tahasildar Alok Pradhan told media persons that his office had received the COVID-19 test result of the victim only on July 21 and expressed surprise over the delay.