ADILABAD: Six COVID-19 patients, along with four others of whom two were waiting for test results, ran away from the isolation ward of RIMS in Adilabad late on Saturday night, triggering panic among the officials over their potential in spreading the virus among the people who might come in contact with them.
According to sources, the authorities noticed late in the night that 10 patients, including six positive, two negative and two more waiting for their test results, have vanished from the isolation ward. They are understood to have fled the RIMS as they were unable to continue in the appalling conditions in the ward.
Before leaving the isolation ward, they circulated a video in which they were seen moving around the premises, explaining the deplorable conditions in the RIMS, including poor quality of food, sanitation and even non-availability of drinking water. One of the patients was heard saying that they felt as though they had been forced into a concentration camp with an intention that they should all die there.
After learning about the "escape" of the patients, the RIMS administration got in touch with the District Medical and Health Department officials and the police to track them before it was too late.
According to RIMS Director B Baliram Naik, two of the patients were traced on Saturday night itself and another two by Sunday morning. "The remaining two positive patients, in fact, went home for Bakrid festival and are now in home isolation," Naik said.
As far as the remaining four patients are concerned, Express learnt that they had not yet been traced but Baliram Naik said they had been tracked. "All are back in RIMS,"he said.
In any case, as two of the four in question had tested negative, the authorities are not too worried. Only in respect of the remaining two, whose results are pending, they are a little worried over the prospect of them coming positive, in which case, tracking them is important.
DMHO Narender Rathod gave a different take on the disappearance of the COVID-19 patients. According to him, only nine patients ran away from the isolation ward, of whom four have been traced and readmitted to the RIMS. "The remaining five had tested negative and therefore there is no worry over them," he said.
After the video in which patients made allegations of negligence on the part of doctors, poor sanitation and poor quality of food became viral, the RIMS director constituted a four-member doctors’ committee to inquire into the allegations and submit a report.
The medicare at the RIMS is not up to the expectations of the patients because of lack of enough number of doctors.As against a sanctioned strength of 239 doctors, there are only 110 now. "I could not do anything about it because powerful leaders were hindering the appointment of doctors," Naik said, implying that there was a section of doctors who are bringing pressure on political leadership to keep fresh appointments on hold to help their private practice flourish.
According to RIMS Director B Baliram Naik, two of the patients were traced on Saturday and two by Sunday morning. “The remaining two positive patients, in fact, went home for Bakrid festival,” he said.