Covid-19 suspect dies in RIMS emergency ward; probe ordered
The deceased family members, who are residents of Ranchi’s Khelgaon, levelled serious charges on hospital’s management. They said the patient was admitted on Friday and samples were taken for Covid 19 test.
State health minister Banna Gupta has set up a probe into the alleged lapses committed in handling a corona-suspect patient who died in an isolation ward in Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Saturday and his body was found lying in hospital’s emergency unit.
“It is a major negligence. Such lapses will not be tolerated at any cost. I have written a letter to health department’s principal secretary demanding a report on the entire things within 24 hours,” said the minister.
The incident relates to a 55-year-old male patient who was admitted in RIMS isolation centre on Friday and his samples were taken for Covid-19 test. But the patient died on Saturday morning and his body was found lying in hospital’s emergency unit creating controversy.
Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic
The deceased family members, who are residents of Ranchi’s Khelgaon, levelled serious charges on hospital’s management. They said the patient was admitted on Friday and samples were taken for Covid 19 test.
“ No attendant was allowed to live with the patient. On Saturday, when we visited the hospital to inquire about our patient’s well-being, we were told that the patient was missing from isolation ward. On further inquiry, we came to know that one body was lying in emergency unit. We then identified the body,” said a relative of the deceased.
He added that the RIMS authorities refused to handover the body till the Covid-19 test report comes.
“The test report has not come till 8.15 pm on Sunday. We will handover the body after the report arrives,” said Dr DK Singh, RIMS director.
After holding a meeting with task force, doctors of medicine department and others on Sunday, Singh said no lapse had happened in the treatment of the patient. He, however, admitted that some mistakes did occur in communication.
He said, “There was a communication gap. The patient’s family member should be informed after the death. We do not find evidence that the patient’s family members were properly communicated. Responsibility has been fixed on each and every working staff. Teams have been constituted to deal with post death disposal, which assumes significance in handling the Covid-19 menace.”
