Deceased man tests corona positive; delay in testing alleged

Patient admitted to General Hospital on May 23, discharged on May 28. All tests, including that for TB done, but not for Covid-19 
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The delay in doing Covid test of Rameshan, 67, who died on Friday and tested positive on Monday has created an uproar and the health department is taking immense heat for it. The Vanchiyoor native was admitted to General Hospital here on May 23 with respiratory issues. He was discharged on May 28 and despite his condition, no tests were done during the period.Almost two weeks later, on June 10, he was brought to General Hospital again. Late in the night, he was referred to Medical College where he was under treatment till June 11. On June 12, the patient passed away, reportedly brought dead to the General Hospital. His swab was collected and the result came out positive on Monday. His body is now in the General Hospital mortuary. 

The patient’s family has now come out against the hospital authorities stating that it was a failure on their part not to have done the Covid test.  “He had respiratory problems and was under treatment at the General Hospital for a long time. However, neither when he was at the hospital in late May nor when he was taken to General Hospital and Medical College did they even discuss the possibility of a Covid test with us. He was not even able to talk much and his condition was bad. All tests, including that of TB was done, but not Covid test,” said a relative.

There is a two-and-a-half-month-old kid in the house. No health officials have contacted the family yet. The child has to be vaccinated and this a major concern for the family.   However, General Hospital authorities said Rameshan had no grounds to do a Covid test back in late May. “We referred him to the Medical College because we had a suspicion. However, he came with asthmatic conditions,” said an official. 

Former health minister V S Sivakumar MLA slammed the health department calling this a major lapse and an example of how less number of tests is being done in the state. Even people who arrive with symptoms are not being tested. This shows how unscientific the testing process in the state is. If he was identified positive and was given required treatment in time, he would have survived. The lapses are glaring and the two suicides in the district in the Covid ward itself is a sign of that,” he said.  Now the staff of General Hospital and Medical College are under quarantine.

6 new containment zones in T’Puram
T’Puram:
Test results out on Monday have confirmed that the person who died in the district on Friday was Covid positive. Rameshan (67), a Vanchiyoor native, was under treatment for respiratory diseases. His is the only positive case reported in the district on the day. Meanwhile, six new containment zones were identified after an ASHA worker from Kattakada tested positive.  Thoongampara, Ponnara, Killy, Ettiruthy, Kollode and Kavinpuram wards of the Kattakada panchayat are the new containment zones, where lockdown relaxations will not be applicable. As many as 1,037 people were put under observation on Monday as part of Covid-19 containment efforts. While 173 people are under hospital isolation, 15,072 people are under home quarantine. On Monday, 41 persons were admitted to hospital while 35 were discharged. 

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