Srinagar, Mar 29: Family of the second victim of COVID-19 in Kashmir who died at Chest Disease (CD) Hospital Dalgate this (Sunday) morning, contested government’s claim and alleged it was doctors “negligence” which led to death of their affectionate father.
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), family members led by Reyaz Ahmad son of the deceased Ali Mohammad (62) from Solinda Tangmarg of Budgam district said that neither his father had any travel history nor was he symptomatic of Covid 19 infection. He (Reyaz) alleged “negligence” on part of doctors that led to death of his father.
Reyaz said that on March 25 the deceased felt some chest congestion, breathlessness and fever after which family rushed him to SMHS hospital where doctors done all required tests including Covid 19 test.
Reyaz said that a day after the staffers initially said that Covid 19 result of the deceased was negative however suddenly after passing few hours when the condition of their father started to deteriorate they contradicted their earlier statement and claimed “the test of our father was positive”. Reyaz said soon his father was shifted shifted to Chest Disease (CD) Hospital Dalgate.
According to Riyaz, they were not given any medical proof like copies of the tests or other confirming record that deceased had any symptoms of COVID-19.
Narrating the ordeal Reyaz with his eyes soaked in tears, said “When we shifted our father to CD hospital, it was heart-wrenching movement”.
We were given ambulance from SHMS to CD hospital but once we came down from vehicle, not a single person from medical staff assisted us while shifting the deceased to inside the facility.
“We were shocked to see the atmosphere there” said Reyaz and added that government makes very tall claims but there is nothing to be seen on ground.
Reyaz says that not a single doctor or paramedic at CD hospital bothered to come to visit us despite they (the staffers) were protected under full body protective gear.
“We requested medicos at CD hospital to provide us masks and gloves but they didn’t pay any heed to us. Even we spent last night in corridor like beggars. Medical staff treated us like “untouchables”, he said.
When asked whether deceased had any travel history, he said, no.
“He was not travelled outside but maintained that the deceased met a couple in the neighborhood who recently returned from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah”.
Riyaz said the said couple has so far no COVID-19 like symptoms and they are unable to understand how their father got affected from this pandemic.
He also said like them, many who have been kept in quarantine are facing acute hardships due to non-availability of basic amenities.
“We had no clothing, no food and no water because government specified quarantine centers far away from district headquarters. Such facility should have been in the proximity but unfortunately all claims of the government regarding quarantine facilities are trickery”, he added.
Meanwhile when contacted Nodal Officer J&K Union Territory Bhupinder Kumar while talking to KNS said that all allegations leveled by family members will be investigated seriously and if anybody is found guilty, government will not hesitate in taking strict action against them
