DHENKANAL: Unable to bear the shock of getting infected with Covid-19, a 50-year-old man died due to heart attack on the verandah of district headquarters hospital (DHH) here on Tuesday as people including the medical staff stood there as mute spectators.

The body of victim, Susanta Prusty of Nadhara village in Odapada block, lay on the verandah for around an hour with his wife Anupama frantically pumping his chest in a failed bid to revive him in full public glare. But none came to the couple’s rescue. The video of the incident  went viral on the day, triggering an outrage on social media.

Anupama said she along with a relative Tripura Nayak and Susanta had come to the DHH at around 7.15 am for Covid-19 tests. They underwent rapid antigen tests and Susanta was found positive at around 10.45 am. The moment the hospital staff broke the news to her husband, he fell down and became unconscious. “I tried to revive him by pumping his chest and even pleaded for medical assistance. But not a single bystander and hospital staff came forward to help me,” she said.

She further alleged that a doctor closed the door of swab testing room and refused to examine Susanta’s body. After much hue and cry, the doctor examined her husband and declared him dead. 

Tripura said despite his repeated appeals to doctors and hospital staff to check on Susanta, no body turned up for about an hour.

Chief district medical and public health officer Dr Sujatarani Mishra said Susanta was suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. He suffered a heart attack soon after he was informed that he was infected with coronavirus. She avoided to comment on the charge of medical negligence levelled by Susanta’s family members.

A similar incident was reported from the DHH on April 29 when one Kishor Chandra Sahoo of Dhenkanal town died after being allegedly refused timely treatment by the doctor. Kishor, suffering from respiratory ailments, succumbed due to delay in provision of oxygen.