ALAPPUZHA: A Covid patient was shifted to a Covid hospital from a Domiciliary Care Centre (DCC) on a two-wheeler in Alappuzha on Friday, exposing the chinks in the facilities and preparations for the expected huge surge of pandemic cases in the district. Meanwhile, a section of the people has praised the young volunteers whose timely intervention helped save the life of the 36-year-old.
A video of two youths, one a woman, wearing PPE kits taking the sinking patient on the motorcycle to the hospital has gone viral on social media. Following the embarrassing development, the district administration and health department have started an inquiry into the alleged lapses.The incident happened on Friday morning in the DCC functioning in the compound of Cooperative Academy of Professional Education (CAPE) at Punnapra.
The native of Purakkad was admitted to the DCC after he tested positive for Covid-19 two days ago. His house did not have the facility to quarantine him and health workers of the locality shifted him to the DCC. He suffered chest pain and collapsed in the early hours of Friday.
Immediately, the volunteers, appointed for helping the patients, arrived. They tried to arrange an ambulance, but it was not available. Hence, they took him on their motorcycle to Sagara Cooperative Hospital, which is a CFLTC and is 100 metres away. After being administered first aid, he was shifted to Alappuzha General Hospital in an ambulance. His condition is stable now, doctors said.
After the incident came to light, the district administration and health department started an investigation. Collector A Alexander said there was no need to shift the patient on the motorcycle. “Sufficient ambulances are available in the district. The failure in coordination may be the reason of the lapse. A directive has been given to the DMO to investigate the incident,” said the collector. Aswin Kunjumon and Rekha, two DYFI activists, were the volunteers who took the patient to the hospital on the bike.