KASARGOD: Two more critically ill patients in Kasaragod died after they were denied access to hospitals in Mangaluru by Karnataka police at the border at Talapady on Monday.
The deceased have been identified as Ayesha (63) of Kunjathur in Manjeshwar and Madhava (50) at Talapady in Dakshina Kannada district.
With this four persons have lost their lives in the past five days because of the stringent blockade of the highway by Karnataka police as part of the lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Ayesha was a heart patient and had gone to her daughter Fathima's house at Kunjathur in Kerala, 6 km away before the lockdown, her son Abdul Hamid told Express over the phone.
On Monday evening, she developed chest pain and her daughter called in the ambulance. Since the two ambulances in the vicinity had gone to Kasaragod, the network arranged a Swift car of a volunteer, Illiyas.
Illiyas -- who had been using his car as a standby ambulance for the past two days -- took Ayesha to a private hospital in Uppala. "The doctors there said she has suffered a heart attack and should be taken to Mangaluru," he said.
While driving towards Mangaluru, Ayesha died in his car at Hosangadi. "If only the Karnataka police were a bit humane, I would not have driven to Uppala and wasted time," said Illiyas, who has been transporting patients since morning with having food.
Madhava, a kidney patient, was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Kumbla. When his conditional worsened, the hospital discharged him and referred to a hospital in Mangaluru.
Karnataka police put a stop to his journey at Talapady. He died on the way back in the ambulance, said driver Aslam Kunjathur.
On Thursday night, Abdul Hamid (60) of Kunjathur in Manjeshwar, died of a heart attack after he was sent back at the border.
On Friday, Gauri Devi (25), a native of Patna, was forced to give birth in an ambulance because of the blockade. Taking the total toll to 4 due to the blockade in force to enforce lockdown.