Sent back by two hospitals, man dies; cremated as Covid suspect

APATHY Breathed his last on way to Amritsar’s GNDH after being refused admission to Patti and Tarn Taran civil hospitals; kin allege negligence, say he just needed timely treatment for weakness

TARN TARAN : A 38-year-old man, Sardool Singh, of Patti city, around 20km from district headquarters, was cremated as a covid-suspect on Sunday morning. The district health department, however, has not taken his predeath or posthumous sample for covid-19.

He was refused admission at civil hospitals in Patti and Tarn Taran, ultimately breathing his last on way to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH), Amritsar, on Saturday night.

For the family, which is alleging negligence from hospitals and the health department, the ordeal started on Saturday evening.

The victim’s cousin brother Kuldeep Singh, 32, said, “On Saturday, about 6pm, my brother Sardool Singh, 38, who had been suffering from piles, complained of weakness. We took him to Sandhu Hospital, where he was given first-aid. They asked us to take him to the Patti civil hospital, due to the pandemic.”

“About 7pm, we reached Patti civil hospital, where doctors asked us to call 108 ambulance service, and take the patient to the Tarn Taran civil hospital. At Tarn Taran hospital, they asked us to take him to Amritsar’s GNDH hospital,” Kuldeep said, adding when they reached GNDH around 9pm, doctors declared Sardool brought dead.

“Why has the government opened hospitals in Patti and Tarn Taran, if there is no treatment of patients?” Kuldeep added.

Patti civil hospital senior medical officer Dr Birinder Kaur said, “The patient had come to us and his condition was serious. He had symptoms of covid-19 and was referred to Tarn Taran civil hospital.”

She added samples for covid-19 were not taken as he was ‘critically ill’. “We did not take posthumous samples of the victim as the family didn’t inform health authorities about his death in timely manner. We will conduct the testing of the victim’s family members once they come out of the grief,” she added.

Tarn Taran civil surgeon Dr Anoop Singh said they considered the patient positive and he was cremated after following covid guidelines. He said the patient had been unwell for around a year.

Patti sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Sharma said, “If the health department was aware that the patient was a covid

suspect, it should have informed us, so that follow-up could have been done. I will direct health authorities to provide details.”

The victim’s father Pyara

Singh said if his son was a covid suspect, then why were other family members not quarantined.

“First, they killed my son and

then they played with our sentiments. My son just needed timely treatment as he was only suffering weakness, because of piles. He had no other disease,” he said.