BELAGAVI: An elderly man, allegedly unable to bear the excruciating pain inflicted by Covid-19, died at the Covid ward in Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) on Friday. A video of the man writhing in pain before his death went viral on social media sites.
Sources said that the 65-year-old resident from Athani taluk was admitted to BIMS after he tested positive sometime ago. The video shows him struggling with pain, possibly in the stomach, on the hospital bed. The video is likely to have been shot by another patient at the ward, exposing the condition of Covid wards at BIMS, where the number of patients has swelled over the last few days.The video clip evoked a sharp response from netizens. Hospital authorities were not available for comment on the condition of the hospital.
Of the 14 districts in Belagavi, Athani had registered the highest number of Covid cases, forcing the district administration to impose a week-long lockdown in the taluk since July 15. Belagavi district registered an alarming spike in cases on Friday with 95 testing positive, taking the tally to 789.Apart from Athani taluk, the government has also announced lockdown in Gokak, Mudalgi, Kagwad and Nipani taluks for a week. All the patients testing positive in the district are being admitted to BIMS.