This story is from June 30, 2020

Hyderabad: Two die of Covid-19, their videos put Chest Hospital in dock

A major controversy erupted on Monday after two Covid-19 patients, admitted to the city’s government-run Chest Hospital, made videos about the poor treatment they were getting at the hospital and then died within hours. Both videos went viral on social media, sparking outrage.
Hyderabad: Two die of Coronavirus, Chest Hospital in dock after videos go viral
File photo of Chest Hospital
HYDERABAD: A major controversy erupted on Monday after two Covid-19 patients, admitted to the city’s government-run Chest Hospital, made videos about the poor treatment they were getting at the hospital and then died within hours. Both videos went viral on social media, sparking outrage.
In the first video that appeared late on Sunday night, a 34-year-old man alleged that the hospital staff had discontinued his oxygen supply despite him pleading with them not to.

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“I am unable to breathe,” the man says in Telugu in the clip. “They have discontinued oxygen for the last three hours even though I pleaded with them. I am not able to breathe anymore daddy, it’s like my heart has stopped. Bye daddy, bye to all.” He died late on Sunday evening.
In the second video, a 36-year-old man is sitting on the hospital bed and showing that there is no one in the ward. He keeps repeating breathlessly in Hindi, “There is no one here. I am the only one here, there is not a soul. How should I stay here, what if something happens?”
He died of cardiac arrest early on Monday morning. His wife told reporters later that her husband was only having breathing trouble. “Doctors didn't give him proper treatment,” she alleged. “They were just giving him 5-15 injections in a day. We were told that he passed away at 5 am in the morning but we have not been handed over the dead body so far."

The 34-year-old man’s family has demanded a thorough investigation into the death, but the state government and the hospital authorities maintain that oxygen supply was never stopped. The authorities also claimed that the man died of a heart attack and not because he did not get oxygen.
The family said that they saw the video after returning from the funeral and want answers to why the oxygen supply was allegedly stopped. “What has happened to my son should not happen to anybody. It is heartbreaking to see him bid goodbye like this,” said the man’s father.
State health minister Eatala Rajender said the patient had been refused treatment at several hospitals before being admitted to Chest Hospital. “Even though it was midnight, he was put on oxygen throughout the night. It is not true that oxygen was not provided,” he said.
Chest Hospital superintendent Dr Mahaboob Khan said that the 34-year-old patient succumbed to heart failure and was confirmed Covid-19 positive only the next day. "At no point was the oxygen supply removed,” Khan said. “You can see the nasal tubes in the video. Patients with heart failure will find it difficult to breathe even with oxygen supply.”
The second patient seemed to have more of a psychological impact, Khan added. “He can be seen saying that there is no one in the ward,” he said. “Today, we have four patients in the ward, but he was the only one yesterday. Generally, doctors and nurses will not be inside Covid-19 wards all the time. They will be stationed outside the ward.” He denied any lapses on part of the hospital staff.
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