COVID-19 +ve Man Alleges Delhi Hospital Refused To Admit Him, 3 Of Family

A COVID-19 positive patient in Delhi on Wednesday alleged that he was denied admission at Lok Nayak Hospital for immediate treatment.

The Lok Nayak Hospital is the biggest facility provided by the Delhi government to treat coronavirus patients.

Naseem, a resident of Chooriwalan, alleged that three other relatives from his family reached the Lok Nayak Hospital for medical aid, but were denied treatment at the facility.

He said that there are seven more COVID-19 patients at his home.

According to Naseem, he and his family members tested positive for COVID-19 after getting RT-PCR tests from a private lab after which they went to Lok Nayak Hospital for treatment.

"I am standing outside Lok Nayak Hospital along with my son, nephew and brother. We all have tested positive for COVID-19. But none of the healthcare staff is listening to us. I had also informed the police about our health condition. Now, that we have reached here, I urge hospital authorities to help us and admit us," said Naseem.

#WATCH A COVID19 positive patient alleges that Delhi's LNJP hospital is not admitting him for immediate treatment. He also says that he and 3 other patients walked to the hospital today while there are 7 more COVID19 patients at his home. pic.twitter.com/mun0IvsIex

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020

For more than two hours, Naseem and his family members were waiting outside the Lok Nayak Hospital for treatment. "We have come all the way walking from my house so that once we get ourselves admitted at the hospital. Then, we can also call seven other people from our family (including a two-month-old infant) who have detected positive for the virus. But, nobody is helping us," he said.

However, Dr JC Passey, medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital, told ANI, "We have admitted three persons from the family who have tested coronavirus positive. It includes the elderly and other patients with comorbid conditions and a two-month-old infant."

Dr Passey informed that Lok Nayak Hospital admits COVID-19 patients falling under category 3, which include those who are very sick and requires ICU and ventilation support.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said only serious patients will be admitted as for all others there are COVID-19 care centres. "According to the state government guidelines, there are three kinds of centres. People with mild symptoms or no symptoms will go to COVID-19 care centres. Those with moderate symptoms will go to dedicated health centres and only people who are severely infected will be admitted to our big hospitals such as LNJP," Mr Jain said.

"If we don't do this, everyone who is infected will go to hospitals and crowd there. Then where will we treat our severe patients? You have to understand that you don't need tertiary care because you tested positive. Delhi government has made many COVID-19 care centres. If anyone has mild symptoms, he or she will be sent to COVID-19 care centres," the minister said.

Recently, the central government issued guidelines for all states to classify hospitals under three categories for COVID-19 patients. All three types of COVID-19 dedicated facilities will have separate earmarked areas for the suspect and confirmed cases.

The suspected and confirmed cases should not be allowed to mix under any circumstances.