On April 13, Srikanth felt uneasy and vomited. Subsequently, he was admitted to a private hospital in Akurdi. He died five days later on April 18. A 45-year-old Covid-19 patient in home isolation for 10 days turned critical within two and died late on Sunday. After his death, the PCMC said it will instruct doctors to thoroughly examine patients and advise home isolation only if they had mild symptoms. Pimpri-Chinchwad has over 15,000 patients in home isolation.
Shrikant Gaikwad, a businessman who lived in Kasarwadi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, first developed fever and body ache on April 6. He then underwent a Covid-19 test at a private laboaratory. He tested negative, but four days later, on April 10, when he again developed fever and cough, he underwent another test at a civic lab in Kasarwadi.
“The test report was positive. After that, we went to the triage of PCMC-run YCM hospital. The doctors there did not even examine him. We were simply asked to fill up a home isolation form. He was advised 10 days of home isolation,” said Avinash Prasad, a close friend who had accompanied Gaikwad to the hospital.
Gaikwad is survived by his wife and two children. On April 11 and 12, he was fine, but on April 13, he started vomiting and feeling uneasy. Subsequently, he was admitted to a private hospital in Akurdi. He died five days later on April 18. The patient did not have any co-morbidity.
His younger brother Shridhar said, “On April 10, when my brother went to YCM hospital, he was advised home quarantine. Actually, he should have been admitted. His oxygen level had gone down and his platelet count had also dipped. We had done his blood test on April 9.”
Shridhar said in barely two days, his brother’s condition turned critical. “Patients are home quarantined when they have mild symptoms. But my brother’s oxygen level was at 90 per cent, and he was even coughing. He first had fever on April 6. Though his test report was negative, it was a false negative as he had symptoms till April 10 when he tested positive.”
– Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Follow Express Pune on Twitter here and on Facebook here. You can also join our Express Pune Telegram channel here.
Shridhar said when his brother was admitted to Akurdi hospital, he recovered somewhat. “I would speak to him over the phone. We got remdesivir for him from Mumbai. He also received plasma therapy. When I last spoke to him on April 17, he sounded confident of recovery. However, after sometime he went to the toilet and felt dizzy. After that, he went into a coma and passed away on Sunday evening,” he said.
His mother said, “My son was healthy, he had no other ailment.”
Dr Rajendra Wable, dean of YCMH, “A team of doctors at the triage advises home isolation to patients based on symptoms. Only patients with mild symptoms are allowed home isolation. Co-morbid patients are not allowed home isolation.”
Dr Wable said after this particular incident, he will instruct doctors to be more careful while advising home isolation.
Shirish Poredi, PCMC spokesperson, said civic health and medical officials will look into the matter. He said they had set up a call centre to monitor patients in home isolation. “The call centre constantly monitors the health of the patient. If patients develop severe symptoms, our doctors guide them and help them to get hospitalised,” he added.
The call centre operates from 8 am to 8 pm. A team of doctors to counsel home isolated patients is available during this period.
Dr Abhaychandra Dadevar, a senior medical officer, said, “The patient who comes to the triage at YCM hospital is put in home isolation by doctors after taking into account the symptoms. Generally, patients with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic are put in home isolation. They are then given medicines like hydrochloroquine and vitamins. Patients should regularly take their medicine for 10 days. The patient or the caretaker should monitor the temperature and oxygen level and, accordingly, convey it to the call centre employee or doctors.”
Dr Dadevar said patients in home isolation should stay in a separate room and use a separate toilet and washroom. “The caretaker should maintain distance from the patient and should use mask and sanitise. Utensils and clothes used by the patient should be regularly sanitised. The caretaker should immediately alert doctors if the patient is feeling unwell or oxygen levels drop,” he added.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
