Nagpur: 53-year-old dies of COVID-19, relative allege ambulance delays

A 53-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Nagpur, Maharashtra as he failed to get an oxygen-equipped ambulance in time, his family members have alleged.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation said it will have to find out why the delay took place and that it has not received any complaint in the matter.

The patient tested positive for coronavirus on August 29 and was under home isolation as he was initially asymptomatic. However, around 8.30 am on Saturday, his pulse rate went down and experiencing breathlessness, said his cousin.

The family members called for an ambulance which arrived after 30 minutes with a woman doctor, he said. The doctor checked the victim's pulse rate. She then made some calls to shift him to a hospital, saying she cannot touch him as he is a COVID-19 patient and they do not have PPE kits, he said.

"We requested the doctor to provide oxygen support to the patient so that he may get time to go to hospital. But, the doctor said the oxygen supply in the ambulance was exhausted. They asked us to inform the civic body to shift the patient to hospital," the victim's cousin said.

Finally, an ambulance from the Nagpur Government Medical and College Hospital (GMCH) arrived at their house around 12.30 pm.

The patient was then taken to the GMCH where he was declared brought dead, he said, adding that the victim would have probably survived if he had got oxygen support and medical aid in time.