Daijiworld Media Network - Dharwad (SP)

Dharwad, Apr 9: Is the emphasis being laid on coronavirus harming the interests of other patients? Some reports say yes.

People swear that a young engineer from Dharwad, who died at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital at Hubballi on April 3 was not provided with any treatment for jaundice, awaiting coronavirus test report. Raju Nayak(31), an engineer by profession, was suffering from pneumonia and jaundice.

Raju had got admitted into the hospital but the staff who suspected that he could be a coronavirus patient did not give him any treatment. They waited for the receipt of the coronavirus test report for three days, it is said. By the time the report was received, the condition of the youth worsened. Even though he was treated then, he failed to respond.

The engineer had married about a year back, and his family lost the only pillar of support.

Raju was working at Pune. He had come home because of lockdown. Within a few days, his eyes turned yellowish and he also had a cough and fever. The doctors at a private hospital at Dharwad where he was taken, said he was suffering from pneumonia and jaundice but as soon they learnt that Raju had come from Pune, he was referred to KIMS Hubballi for coronavirus test, without prescribing any treatment.

Raju was brought to KIMS by his family members on March 30 night. He was directly admitted into the isolation ward and throat swab samples were sent to Shivamogga the next day. The report received on April 1 proved negative.

Raju's father, Chandrakanth Naik, said that Raju was walking when he was taken to KIMS and that he walked to the isolation ward. He said that the doctors did not provide any treatment for two days, as they awaited the test report. Raju was not even provided with food. Even after the report came, he continued to be in the isolation ward and by the time he was brought out on the third day, he was unconscious. He said not providing any treatment at KIMS caused his son's death.

The doctors at the KIMS said Raju had breathing problem when he was bought. there "He was placed on a ventilator but his life could not be saved. We did not err," they insist. However, they orally admitted before the media that he was suffering from pneumonia, blood cancer, and jaundice but the report does not have any mention of blood cancer. It says that the young engineer died due to the failure of liver and heart attack.