Chandigarh: Covid patient jumps to death from 5th floor of GMCH

CHANDIGARH: A 62-year-old Covid-19 patient allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, on Sunday, leading his family members to allege improper care and lack of treatment — charges that the doctors denied.
The Sector 55 resident was taken to the hospital on July 28 and was tested positive. He was shifted to Sood Dharamshala, Sector 22, functioning as a Covid centre for patients with mild symptoms the same day.

“My father complained of breathlessness. There was no one to attend to him. I had to make numerous requests to the guard outside as I was not allowed entry. When his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to GMCH on July 29,” said Deepak, the son of the patient. He said, “In GMCH, my father called me up and sounded disoriented. He told me that he would not survive. I consoled him and asked him to wait before I come. But he breathed his last soon,” Deepak alleged. Doctors had a different version of the patient, saying that he was on the recovery track.
“The patient had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to smoking. This had caused breathlessness, prompting his shifting to GMCH. He had been talking to the hospital staff a day before he died and was stable. In fact, his blood parameters were normal. We had planned to move him back to Sood Dharamshala,” said a senior doctor.
Deepak rubbished the talk of his father being a smoker.
“This is all misleading. I have phone recording of my father sounding nervous and crying for help. He repeatedly asked me to take him out from there, else he would die. Many nurses asked formatted questions and did not listen to his problems. Due to this attitude and no care, my father broke down and took the extreme step,” Deepak alleged.
Sources said the patient walked out of his room and before the staff could stop him, he climbed the ledge and jumped off.
“The guards took him to the emergency, where he died. He had no history of depression or any psychiatry disorder. He was recovering and was doing good,” said Dr B S Chavan, director, GMCH.
Baldev Kumar, station house officer, Sector 34 police station, said proceedings were initiated under Section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Family members of the victim have not lodged any formal complaint against the hospital authorities so far, he said.