The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many things in the discussion. Many of us who did not follow much news updates have now started to follow updates on coronavirus.
In one such thing which came into the light recently was the utility of cardiac ambulance in the times of COVID-19. Yesterday in Pune, a 42-year-old reporter of a Marathi news channel died of COVID-19 at a newly-created jumbo care facility in Pune.
His relatives alleged that he could not be shifted to a private hospital due to the lack of a cardiac ambulance.
Now you might wonder what exactly does a cardiac ambulance do. So, here's an answer for you.
A cardiac ambulance is also known as Advanced Life support (ALS) ambulance and these are designed specifically to provide assistance to patients suffering from cardiac diseases.
These ambulances are equipped with a ventilator, defibrillator, oxygen cylinder, electrocardiography (ECG) machine, and a monitoring device. It helps to address life-threatening situations like cardiac arrests and emergencies which require providing oxygen and respiratory support to critically ill patients while transporting them.
The Pune journalist was in need of one such ambulance when his condition started deteriorating on Tuesday night.
One of the colleagues of the deceased reporter told PTI, "He was to be shifted to a private hospital, as his condition started deteriorating. We somehow managed to get an ICU bed for him. However, we could not get a cardiac ambulance in time."
The ambulance was supposed to arrive early Wednesday at the facility, but it was too late and he succumbed by 5.30 am, he claimed.
The civic body also admitted that the patient was to be shifted to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, however, considering his condition, it was not advisable to transport him in an ordinary ambulance.
Hours before his death, he had put out a brief message on a messaging group of journalists around 1.30 am in which he wrote, "Feeling bad, please take me".
(With inputs from PTI)