CHENNAI: On May 31, 63-year-old Manickavel (name changed), a COVID-19 patient was found out on the street hoping to find some food for himself, much to the shock of his neighbours. However, it was soon found that he was not to be blamed.
After he developed a fever, Manickavel, a resident of Besant Nagar, gave a COVID-19 test, the results for which came back positive on May 31 morning. By 3:30 pm, Corporation staff reached his home and transported the rest of his family to the Guru Nanak higher secondary school in Velachery to be quarantined, leaving the 63-year-old who already suffered from kidney ailments and blood sugar, alone at home.
By 7:30 pm, Manickavel who had no idea if he will be taken to the hospital or be given dinner, went out to the road to find food. His family, who came to know of this alerted an activist who in turn informed a senior Corporation official. The senior official then immediately responded by arranging for Manickavel to be taken to the Government Multi-Super-Speciality Hospital, Omandurar Government Estateat around 8 pm.
"None of the Corporation staff went back to even check on him until an activist called them. We found out that he went out to the street looking for food. He usually gets very hungry because of his diabetes," said Saravanan (name changed), Manickavel's son.
Speaking to Express, Manickavel whose health condition is currently stable said that he came back inside the house after his neighbours began yelling at him.
"Then, my elder brother who lives nearby then sent food for me. I did not know when I would be taken to the hospital before the ambulance came to pick me up. I had already waited for three to four hours and it was getting dark so I thought they might not come that day," he said.
Manickavel's wife, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren along with 21 others who lived in the same building as him were taken to the school in two trucks. According to zonal corporation officials, the family and others in the building had to be taken away for institutional quarantine since each family lived in around 200-square-feet houses which made physical distancing impossible.
"We were told that he will be taken to the hospital soon after they took us to the quarantine facility. So, we left. But, we called him hours later to check on him and found that he was still at home," said Saravanan
However, even on Tuesday morning, Manickavel was asked by the Omandurar hospital staff he could be sent home for home quarantine.
"He said that it was not possible since there would be no one to take care of him. Also, he is a high risk patient with diabetes and kidney problems so he refused and they've agreed to let him stay," said Saravanan.
When contacted, a senior Corporation official said that he will look into the issue.
"I will cross-check with my staff and ask them how this might have happened," the official said.
Another senior Corporation official of the South region said that the man was taken to the hospital by around 8 pm, four hours after the family was taken for quarantine.
"I got a call from the said activist and we immediately arranged for food and also for the man to be transported to the hospital," the official said.