MANGALURU: Five police personnel and a home guard, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, were allegedly made to spend over five hours at their station at Ullal in Mangaluru waiting for an ambulance, with people blaming the authorities for their negligence.
A police officer of the Ullal station who tested positive for coronavirus speaking to The New Indian Express, expressed displeasure over delay in sending an ambulance by the district authorities. "We were disappointed as we were made to wait for more than five hours. We have been working day and night during this pandemic. We stopped staying with our families to avoid transmitting the virus as we have young children and elderly persons at home. Over 12 cops from the station were staying at a rented house."
He said that soon after the inspector of their station tested positive for coronavirus, they were alert and over 40 police officers got themselves tested at the Ullal health centre.
On Saturday, they sent their swab samples for testing and their reports returned positive on Monday. "Soon after reports were received, we were asked to come to Ullal station at around 11.30 am. They told us that we will be taken to a private hospital at Nitte, then they said we will be shifted to ESI hospital or Wenlock hospital. The ambulance arrived at around 4.30pm."
All six infected persons are asymptomatic and five cops are currently being treated at Yenepoya hospital. With this, 9 police personnel and a home guard from the Ullal station have tested positive for Covid-19.
Reports of many other samples of cops are awaited.
There were also allegations that beds of private hospitals were full which might have lead to the delay.
However, Ashok, inspector and Ullal station in-charge refuted allegations that some private hospitals had refused to admit them.
"Any ambulance cannot shift those who are infected by the virus. There are deluge of coronavirus cases in the district. Hence, there was a delay in arranging an ambulance. The allegations are baseless and there is no need to make an issue out of it."