2 Covid patients die in ambulances waiting for bed outside govt hospital in Chennai 

CHENNAI: Two Covid-19 patients waiting outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital died in the ambulance before they could be admitted to the hospital on Wednesday.

Dean of the hospital Dr. E Theranirajan said both patients, aged 74 years and 75 years, were critically ill. They were referred from private hospitals in a terminal stage. One died at around 5.45 pm and the other at 7.30 pm.

There were over 20 ambulances waiting outside and the doctors' team was checking the patients one by one. So, before the two patients could be checked, they died in the ambulance. "Private hospitals are referring the patients in the terminal stage, " Dr. Theranirajan said. 

After reports of deaths, Health Minister Ma Subramanian inspected the hospital on Thursday.

Speaking to the press, Subramanian said that many private hospitals are referring patients to government hospitals at the last minute and that is the reason for the deaths. 

The minister said there are 1,618 beds at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and 1,200 among them are oxygen beds. Additional oxygen beds couldn't be readied because of the short supply of oxygen, the minister said. 

The situation will get better once the State receives oxygen supply from Durgapur in West Bengal. The Oxygen Express train expected to reach Chennai by Friday morning.

The minister also said supply from the Sterlite plant also should ease the situation. Once the State receives these supplies, 850 oxygen beds at Chennai Trade Centre at Nandambakkam will be opened and the patients from the government hospitals can be shifted there.

Subramanian also said steps will be taken for more production of Remdesivir after May 21. So that it can be distributed to other districts as well. Vaccination for those above 18 years would be started once global tenders are floated and procured the vaccines. The work is being fast-tracked, he said.