KASARAGOD: Fathimath Sasriya (31) -- an endosulfan victim paralysed since childhood and diagnosed with hydrocephalus -- died of Covid on Sunday, said her father Ismail Kalluravi, a resident of Kanhangad.
He said he could not take her to hospital on time because the Health Department did not have an ambulance to spare for her. Fathimath's house at Kalluravi is just 15 minutes from the District Hospital.
Fathimath's mother Suhara Ismail and her two brothers tested positive for Covid 10 days ago.
Fathimath -- whose right side is paralysed -- started developing breathing difficulties around 2 pm on Sunday and Ismail said he contacted the nearest health centre for an ambulance. "We could not hire an autorickshaw because she had to be taken on a stretcher," he said.
The health official directed him to call the nursing staff at the primary health centre (PHC) for endosulfan-affected at Anandasharam, near the District Hospital. When contacted, the nurse asked Ismail to contact the Endosulfan Cell.
As he was not familiar with the Cell, he contacted Muneesa Ambalathara, president of the Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnani, an NGO working for the rights of endosulfan-affected families.
She contacted the administrative officer of the Endosulfan Cell, the government's agency to coordinate and monitor welfare and medical activities related to the victims. "The administrative officer told me that he would get back soon and hung up," Muneesa told The New Indian Express.
Meanwhile, Fathimath tried to steam inhalation to ease her breathing difficulty but did not find relief.
After some time, the official called Muneesa, and her Fathimath's call for an ambulance was 'recorded' by the PHC at Anandashram and that she had, in turn, informed the health inspector to "do the needful".
When informed that there was no ambulance, the administrative officer said he had asked the nurse to arrange any vehicle of the Health Department to take Fathimath to the hospital.
As her condition deteriorated, the family arranged a private car to take Fathimath to the District Hospital. They reached the district hospital by 5 pm but Fathimath had left by then.
Tests conducted at the district hospital found that Fathimath was Covid positive.