Did the old man die of Covid due to gross negligence?
Sandesh Prabhudesai | 22 June 2020 14:03 IST
After Goa reported first Covid death of an 85-year old man from Sattari, Health Minister and leader of Sattari Vishwajit Rane has assured that his health team is following the strictest measures, called this one an unfortunate incident. But investigation of goanews.com reveals that the old man succumbed to the deadly virus because he was not tested in spite of his whole family being admitted in Covid Care Centre in Shiroda since 9th June, almost for 10 days before he was rushed to the hospital.
And Sources in GMC hospital also disclosed to goanews.com that the old man was brought to GMC from Sankhli hospital on Saturday 20th June and taken straight to the Casualty ward, with a simple mention that he was suffering with Congestive Cardiac Failure (CCF), without fever.
His family history was not at all mentioned.
According to close relatives of the old man, his son and daughter-in-law from Morlem had gone for testing on 9th June after the woman started feeling feverish.
This was three days before Ghoddemol in Morlem was officially declared a Containment Zone but people had self-imposed a 14-day lockdown from 7th June, after a health worker from the village was found Covid positive through Mangor hill in Vasco.
With the old man shifted from GMC to Covid hospital in Madgao, the total number of Covid positive patients in Morlem has reached 20.
The son and daughter-in-law were initially tested negative on 10th June, but the second test conducted on 12th June found them positive. Both of them are admitted at the Covid Care Centre in Shiroda since then.
At the request of the couple, husband’s sister and their two children, 16 year old boy and 14 year old girl, were also tested. Sister was tested negative while the boy is also being discharged today as he has been found negative frequently. The girl however is still being treated along with her parents, awaiting result.
Not only the family members, the couple also gave full list of 17 people they came in contact with. They were also tested negative.
Old lady in Sattari undergoing Covid test
However, the aged man was immobile and could not be moved out for testing along with his family members. The local authorities assured the family that he would be tested by bringing doctors home.
But this was not done, a close relative told goanews.com.
As he was feeling weak and could not eat with ease, the old man was shifted to Sankhli government hospital on Saturday by his nephew. He was diagnosed there for Congestive Cardiac Failure (CCF) without fever and was referred to GMC hospital.
In spite of being from the Covid positive family, surprisingly, the old man was brought to the Casualty ward at GMC hospital. From there, he was shifted to Critical Care Room (CCR) and then the Isolation Ward 113, where Covid suspects are treated.
He was tested positive for Covid there and was shifted to Covid hospital in Madgao on Sunday evening. He succumbed to the deadly virus at around 6 today morning.
With this first Covid death in Goa, several questions are being raised now within the medical circles.
1) If what the close relative of the old man told goanews.com is true, then why the old man was not tested for Covid when all his family members are being treated in Covid Care Centre since 9th June and a neighbouring Ghoddemol waddo of Morlem was declared a containment zone?
2) Why the old man was referred by Sankhli hospital without mentioning his family history of Covid but only about CCF without fever?
3) Since this patient did not have major symptoms of Covid but was found positive, does Casualty ward in GMC need to take now more protective measures?
And last but not the least.
Since there is no proper education on Covid and the patients suffering with this virus, the family has decided not to claim the body for the final rites, fearing backlash from the villagers.
Final rites of the old man would be conducted probably in Madgao and not in Morlem, where he spent his whole life….
Media has created huge panic. Such animosities are being created that people from Vasco have become enemies of people from Mapusa? Where is the Goekarpan, etc.?? Human values. The virus is bad but it is not lethal, people will survive not die on instance once they are infected. People in the western world are being quarantined at home. Media and politicians in this country are worst than vultures.
I think people will start killing each other in a few days.
The media obviously will be all over this. Clearly, there were other issues surrounding this case such as the person being old, sick, with ailments and immobilized. However, there hundreds of people of who have been treated and cured of the virus. So at least appreciate that. The old man could not be immediately tested because they could not take him to the testing centre as you yourself has mentioned. Obviously, the family could have quarantined him at home, which probably he was. With ailments and medical issues he was having probably at high risk. Pleas put things in a perspective.
Sandesh Prabhudessai,
Stop giving all those detailed break down of the cases on your front page, such sensationalizing will create panic and fear among people. Instead, spread some positive news about prevention, hygiene, people recovering, etc.