Ujjain: Contrary to the tall claims being made by the government, the situation in Ujjain is that many Covid-19 suspects are being sent from one hospital literally like one witnesses a football being kicked around during a passing practice drill.
Government Madhav Nagar Hospital which has been turned into a Covid-19 Isolation Center on March 25, has neither skilled doctors not technical staff to attend those coming there for treatment. The situation is so worse that the miss-management is claiming the lives of innocent patients.
Video exposes officials’ apathy
The sensational death of one 55-year-old Laxmi Chauhan, at RD Gardi Medical College located on Agar Road on Friday morning has exposed the pathetic condition of official and medical arrangements to fight Covid-19 in Ujjain.
Laxmibai’s husband lives in the Danigate area works as a sculptor. She is survived by her husband, 3 daughters and a son. Authorities concern may now come up with anything to suit their case, but the video which exposed how Laxmibai struggled for life and how her death was avoidable if she had received medical care in time. A video which went viral on social media on Saturday exposed that when she was brought to the hospital the ward’s gate was locked and precious time was lost as people around made frantic efforts to get her inside the hospital. Worst of all the whole episode exposes the lack of sensibility and empathy exhibited by the authorities concerned.
EYE WITNESS’s account
“Laxmibai was referred to RD Gardi Medical College (RDGMC) from Madhav Nagar Hospital due to her critical condition,” said Ashok Shivhare, who was with Laxmibai till her last breath.
“It was told that there are better arrangements there and the chances of survival of the patient are more there. Someone from Madhav Nagar Hospital also called to intimate us that the patient has been referred to them. An ambulance was dispatched with oxygen cylinder and staff nurse. However, when the ambulance reached the RDGMC at 7.45-8 am, no one came out with a stretcher. There was no staff present there. However, what probably proved to be the most detrimental for the fate of the ill-fated women was that the hospital was locked.
The attendees and the ambulance staff kept making desperate calls and efforts, but it was only after 25-30 minutes that a woman worker came and said that since ICU is locked and because staff concerned has not turned up- we all should break open the lock to admit the patient. Consequently, we broke the lock and took Laxmibai inside. A doctor and a staff nurse had also arrived by then, but the patient succumbed shortly after. If arrangements at RD Gardi Medical College have been any better, then, Laxmibai’s life could have been saved,” Shivhare rued. Laxmibai was brought to the hospital as a Covid-19 suspect her medical report is yet to come.
THE SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS
In its probe Free Press has found startling facts pertaining to the treatment of Covid-19 suspects in Ujjain. The administration has declared Government Madhav Nagar Hospital and RD Gardi Medical College in Ujjain district as ‘Covid-19 Isolation Center’ and ‘Covid-19 Medical Institute’, respectively.
Suspected patients are sent to quarantine homes, which have been set-up in Hamukhedi and Sudama Nagar localities. The remaining patients are quarantined at their homes. On March 25, the Government Madhav Nagar Hospital was declared as ‘Covid-19 Isolation Center’, but the scenario requires that a doctor who is MD in intensive care to be deployed round-the-clock in isolation ward (ICU). When a serious patient is admitted, he has to insert an endotracheal tube into the ventilator before placing patient on the ventilator, said a source. However, the said specialist is not available so the patient is referred from here to RD Gardi Medical College because all these facilities are available there.
Covid-19 suspects, patients
If a Corona-infected (suspected) patient arrives at the Government Madhav Nagar Hospital then it can be said that his end is near, alleged a source. The condition of the hospital is so frightening that it is difficult to describe it in words. For instance, the hospital has 2 ventilators and administrative and health officials somehow managed 5 more ventilators from local private hospitals, but there are no technicians to operate them. Not just this, on March 29, a bio-medical engineer Sanjay Suryavanshi was called from CHL Medical Center to check the ventilator, 4 on-duty staff nurses posted in the ICU refused to go to the ICU as they were afraid of catching coronavirus. The said bio-medical engineer had to return empty-handed.
What ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS?
In the name of alternative arrangement, the administration has attached 12 ward assistants of private hospitals to Government Madhav Nagar Hospital. They are posted on duty for 8-hour every day, but it is learnt that all of them have refused to take night shift due to the fear of coronavirus. In such a situation, if the patient has any complication or if any technical problem arises in the machines, then one can only imagine the consequent complications.
HUNT FOR ‘SCAPE GOAT’ BEGINS
According to sources the senior administrative and health officers are performing their duty by merely paying lip service. “Officials keep calling us all day and keep giving instructions, but if we tell them any problem or ask them to take action on any subject, they bite their tongue,” a senior doctor told on condition of anonymity. Post Laxmibai’s death the search is on for a ‘scape goat’. Three officials who have grabbed a lot of lot of headlines in the media have never bother to pay even a flying visit to the ‘Covid-19 Isolation Center’ till date.
AND THE OFFICIAL VERION IS …
LAXMIBAI DIED DUE TO BREATHLESSNESS
Laxmi Bai (55) wife of Ashoka, a resident of Danigate, died due to difficulty in breathing. The woman was suspected to have been affected by Covid-19, due to which a sample has been sent for her investigation. The health department said that the woman was admitted to the District Hospital at 7 pm on April 2. On April 3, at 1.30 am, there was a lack of oxygen in the blood of the said patient, in view of this she woman was admitted to Madhav Nagar Hospital at 3.30 am. The ventilator in Madhav Nagar Hospital could not be put to use so the patient was sent to RD Gardi Medical College at 7 am. As the Laxmibai report was due so she was not required to be kept in the coronavirus ward with other patients but in separate isolation ward for which oxygen lines and ventilators were arranged by RD Gardi Medical College.
The family members of the woman could not hear the noise of the medical staff of RD Gardi Medical College in panic and noise and they broke the lock of the gate of the ICU of the hospital where four coronavirus patients were admitted. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. Meanwhile, the woman died on April 3 at 7:50 am. Collector Shashank Mishra has taken strict action against the incharge of Madhav Nagar Hospital and Civil Surgeon- for showing negligence during the treatment of the said woman at Madhav Nagar Hospital and orders have been given to investigate the case, an official release said.
