Gujarat Professor Dies Of COVID, Hospital Turned Her Away For Not Taking Designated Ambulance

As COVID-19 cases continue to spiral out of control across India, there has been an increase in the number of patients failing to get emergency critical care, which can be fatal at times.

Across the country hospitals, including designated COVID care centers and private ones are struggling with the influx of patients, which at times are beyond their capacity.

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Professor Indrani Banerjee, dean of the School of Neurosciences at the Gujarat Central University died from COVID-19 on Sunday, after she was allegedly turned away by a hospital.

What happened?

The 48-year-old who had tested positive for the virus last week was admitted to a private, but after her blood oxygen levels dropped and she was struggling to breathe, her colleagues and students took her to a Chandkheda-based Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) designated Covid hospital on Saturday noon.

But as they could not get an ambulance on time, Banerjee was taken to the hospital in a personal vehicle, and not in an EMRI 108 ambulance, as mandated by the AMC, the staff there allegedly refused her admission.

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She was then taken back to a private hospital in Gandhinagar, where she died later.

Gujarat struggling

Gujarat, like many other states, is struggling with the sudden influx of patients and acute shortage in medical oxygen supply.

Amid reports of COVID-19 patients being forced to stand in queues at hospitals for oxygen and beds, the Gujarat High Court had on Sunday initiated a suo motu PIL over the coronavirus situation in the state, observing that media reports on the pandemic indicate that the state was heading towards a "health emergency of sorts".

Through an oral order, Chief Justice Vikram Nath directed the high court registry to register a fresh suo motu PIL titled "In Re : Uncontrolled upsurge and serious management issues in COVID control".

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This is the second such PIL registered by the state high court on coronavirus situation. The first PIL was registered last year and it is still being heard at regular intervals.

The court on Monday said there is no RT-PCR testing centre in taluka and small villages.

"It takes 4-5 days for the common man to get the report, whereas officers can get an RT-PCR report within hours. Sample collection and testing should be faster. There's no RT-PCR testing centre in taluka and small villages," said Chief Justice.

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Chief Justice also suggested ways to control the rise in cases and said the number of people at weddings should be capped at 50, make a booth at housing societies to check people's health, take help of religious centres that can provide Covid Care Centre and isolation facility.