Doctors Didn't Test, Say Sons Of Delhi Couple Who Died Of Coronavirus

Coronavirus Delhi: There are more than 7,600 COVID-19 cases in Delhi

The children of a Delhi couple who died last week due to COVID-19-related complications have told NDTV that their deaths could have been prevented had their mother, who complained of diarrhoea and shortness of breath last month, and father been tested for the virus at an earlier stage.

The mother, a teacher at a government school, and the father, a doctor who ran a private clinic in north Delhi's Jahangirpuri - a coronavirus hotspot - died within 24 hours of each other; the father died May 3 and the mother on May 4.

They are survived by their two sons - a 23-year-old BA graduate and a 17-year-old Class 12 student, both of whom are in isolation awaiting their COVID-19 test results. The sons have been awarded Rs 1 crore compensation by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

According to the son, on April 22 the mother began vomiting and had difficulty breathing. She was admitted to the GB Pant Hospital, from where she was treated and discharged on May 1. However, during her stay no COVID-19 test was conducted, something the son said was inexplicable.

"I do not understand how the doctor did not see my mother as a coronavirus case. Everyone knows breathing problems are a symptom of coronavirus, but no one thought this is a COVID-19 case, until May 4 when she died," he said.

The son said his mother's condition worsened 24 hours after her release; she was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital on May 2 and, 24 hours after that, the father was also admitted at RML.

He died the same day, while she died the day after.

The couple's children have said they were not given timely information regarding their parents' health and that neither the mother nor the father received treatment on time.

"I wish this tragedy that has happened to us should not happen to anyone else. Both my parents were found to be coronavirus positive after their deaths," one of the sons said, pointing out that their father was a doctor and their mother worked to feed migrants and labourers near the Adarsh Nagar Metro Station.

Delhi has reported over 7,600 coronavirus cases, including 86 deaths, so far. Only Maharashtra (24,427 cases, 921 deaths), Gujarat (8,903 cases, 537 deaths) and Tamil Nadu (8,718 cases, 61 deaths) have more COVID-19 patients.

Last week, Chief Minister Kejriwal said Delhi is "ready to lift the lockdown" and gave restricted relief to a number of services and industries. "The time has come to re-open Delhi. We will have to be ready to live with coronavirus," he said.