An 80-year old woman, who was turned back from at least 10 hospitals despite having Covid symptoms of fever and shortness of breath, finally perished in Sylhet on Saturday, her family said.
In a futile search for oxygen support the family of Laal Chan Bibi took her from one hospital to another in Beanibazar upazila and Sylhet city after her condition deteriorated on Friday night. They were told that no bed is available.
When Chan Bibi, a resident of Baralekha upazila in Moulvibazar district, finally found a seat at the Covid isolation ward of Beanibazar Upazila Health Complex by Saturday noon. She died there at 4 pm after three hours of admission, the hospital authorities said.
Resident Medical officer of the hospital Dr Ishak Azad said Chan Bibi had little chance to survive when she was brought there.
“We have tried to provide her all the necessary treatment and oxygen support but failed to save her”, he said.
Upazila health and family planning officer Dr Moazzem Ali Khan Chowdhury said the woman was admitted considering her serious condition even though the health complex is not a Covid dedicated facility and its beds have already been occupied.
“The family members of the patient were pleading for help as they had already visited 10 hospitals in search of a bed,” he said.
Dr Moazzem said Chan Bibi’s samples were collected and sent to the RT-PCR lab for Covid-19 test before her death.
Source: United News of Bangladesh