ROURKELA: The family of local singer Sanjay Tanti (43), who died at Rourkela Government Hospital due to influenza like illness (ILI), on Saturday alleged he was denied treatment by several hospitals here owing to Covid-19 fear. This despite the fact that Tanti had tested negative for the virus.
Tanti’s wife Ramita said her husband complained of fever and cough on Friday morning following which she took him to a private hospital where his blood and urine samples were tested. The X-ray of his chest showed he had pneumonia. Even as the tests were conducted, the doctors at the hospital did not treat the singer and instead chided the staff for allowing him in. Ramita said the hospital staff, citing low pulse rate, asked her to get Tanti tested for coronavirus.
She then took her husband to a semi-Government hospital where he was tested and the results came out negative. However, he was denied treatment and the hospital following which the couple went back to the private hospital they had visited earlier. They were denied admission into the facility and then they rushed to RGH where Tanti died during treatment. A senior RGH official said Tanti was tested negative for Covid-19 and died of cardiac failure. His mortal remains were consigned to flames at Vedvyas on the day.