Ghaziabad: Covid-related death reported after 19 days as 37-year-old dies during treatment

After having recorded no Covid-related deaths for 19 days, the Ghaziabad district saw a fatality on Sunday when a 37-year-old coronavirus-positive man died, according to the August 10 data of the state control room for the district. According to officials, the man breathed his last at the L3 hospital in Ghaziabad.

The last death was reported in the district on July 21. In Sunday’s case, which is the first Covid-related in the month for Ghaziabad, the patient was admitted to Santosh Medical, the only L3 facility here, on August 3. According to the health department, the patient was admitted with low (82%) oxygen level and low respiratory rate.

“The man was from Ambedkar Nagar area and was admitted to ICU and also given oxygen through high flow nasal cannula to relax the low oxygen levels. On August 4, he was given Remdesivir and other high value medicines. Although his oxygen level increased, it could not go beyond 85%, against the minimum required at 94%. On August 5, he was given plasma. On August 8, he developed complications with kidney ailments and passed away on August 9,” said an officer from the district health department, who wished not to be named.

Officials said they gave the best possible treatment to the patient.

“We tried every possible treatment, along with medicines available. But his was a case of someone who got admitted when his condition had already deteriorated. Since June, when a majority of deaths were reported, we have put in a number of systems in place for early testing and early detection, faster referral and treatment in order to avoid fatalities. It is still our focus that people should get themselves tested at the onset of symptoms so that their treatment can start immediately,” said Ajay Shankar Pandey, district magistrate.

Till May 31, the district had four deaths while a majority of them, 51, were added to the tally in the month of June. In July, the fatality rate decreased with nine deaths, while one has taken place so far in the month of August.

In another case, the DM on Monday assigned an inquiry to the city magistrate to look into allegations made by the family of a 92-year-old man who died at the premises of the MMG District Hospital early Sunday. His family alleged that after the man had tested positive at Sarvodaya Hospital in Kavi Nagar, they took him to the emergency wing of the MMG Hospital at around 1.30am on Sunday but no doctor turned up till 6am.

“As a result, he died. He was suffering diarrhoea and we took him to Sarvodaya Hospital where he was treated for a similar complication three years ago and had got relief. At the hospital, he tested positive for Covid-19. We rushed him in a private car to MMG Hospital but no one attended to him till 6am. Finally when a team of doctors arrived and declared him dead,” alleged Anil Kumar, son of victim Mangu Ram.

DM Shankar said that city magistrate Shiv Pratap Shukla has been assigned an inquiry.

“The allegations of the family will be taken up in the inquiry and the report is expected within two-three days,” Pandey added.

This fatality, however, has not been added to the district’s tally as inquiry is still pending in the case.

Dr Neeraj Garg, the chief medical superintendent of Sarvodaya Hospital, said that the patient was not admitted to the hospital.

“When his family brought him to the hospital, we conducted a test and found him positive for Covid-19. He was admitted at another private hospital and later brought here at 12.30m on August 9. Later, the family said that they have some contacts at the government hospital and offered to take him. They took him within 30-40 minutes,” he said.

Dr Sunil Katyal, the acting chief medical superintendent of MMG Hospital, however, declined to offer any comments about the incident and said that he has submitted a report to the chief medical officer.

“As per protocol, the hospital where the patient tested positive should immediately inform the office of the chief medical officer so that the patient can be referred to an appropriate Covid facility,” said an officer from the district health department, who asked not to be named.