A shocking incident came to light in Pune as TV9 Marathi's journalist Pandurang Raykar failed to get a cardiac ambulance from the city's Jumbo COVID Centre to go to the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. His oxygen level dropped which led to his death on Wednesday. He was 42.
Now, Shiv Sena leader and Cabinet Minister of Urban Development and PWD (Public Undertakings) Eknath Shinde has extended help of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the journalist. He submitted the DD at TV 9's office.
The Minister expressed sadness over the unfortunate death of the journalist and said, "In Pune Pandurang Raikar a journalist died due to Corona. The incident is very unfortunate and shocking. He was a known field reporter who did his job risking his life. Shiv Sena is helping his family. In addition to that I will request CM to check if we can help such reporters through the life insurance for journalists."
Pandurang Raykar suffered from cold and fever on August 20, after which he went to the doctor for treatment. He was tested for COVID-19 on August 27. However, the test was negative.
The next day, he went to his village Kopargaon in Ahmednagar district. His health deteriorated at his village and his antigen test also came positive.
On the night of August 30, he was brought to Pune by ambulance for treatment. He was admitted to the newly-inaugurated Jumbo Hospital's ICU. Raykar's conditioned further worsened. On Tuesday, his oxygen level dropped to 78 and he needed a cardiac ambulance to transfer him to the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital which is barely 7 km from the Jumbo COVID Centre. Many failed attempts were made to get an ambulance. An ambulance didn't have a ventilator, another didn't have a doctor.
An ambulance finally reached early morning but by then Raykar had passed away at 5.30 AM.
Earlier, Pandurang Raykar's family had alleged the lack of care at COVID centre. Raykar's sister said, "There's chaos, doctors aren't trained. They made centres worth crores but couldn't arrange cardiac ambulance to shift him, that's why he died."
