Collector orders probe into man’s death after futile search for isolated ICU beds in Pune

PUNE: Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the death of a 68-year-old man at Sassoon general hospital after his relatives failed to find an isolated intensive care unit (ICU) bed in two private hospitals on July 5.
The man, a diabetic, had complained of symptoms like breathlessness associated with Covid-19. After the two failed attempts to find a hospital bed, his family members tried to locate an ICU facility for nearly two-and-a-half hours by making calls to three other private hospitals.But their efforts were unsuccessful. He was finally admitted to Sassoon hospital where he died hours later.

“A team has been sent to the private hospitals. Its members will prepare and submit a fact-finding report. Necessary action will be initiated on the basis of the report,” Ram told TOI.
“The standard operating procedures (SOPs) are in place and the onus is on the hospital first approached to stabilize a patient during emergency. The next step is to shift the patient to a dedicated Covid-19 care facility, depending on the symptoms,” he said.
“No hospital can turn a patient away. In case a hospital cannot admit a person, it has to cite the reason. Any violation of the SOPs will attract serious action. Several meetings have been conducted with the hospitals on the SOPs and it’s beyond anyone’s comprehension how a hospital can violate the norms. FIRs can be filed against errant hospitals,” the collector said.
Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said the death of the man in Sassoon hospital was being examined. “We will take action on the basis of the findings. No hospital can deny treatment to any patient. The SOPs are a must for all hospitals,” he said.
(With inputs from Sarang Dastane)