Mumbai: COVID-19 patient fails to get bed at KEM hospital, dies at home

The number of covid-19 cases in Maharshtra are increasing rapidly with Mumbai city having the maximum number of cases. With 933 new patients being detected, the number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai reached 17,512 and death toll increased to 655 with 34 more deaths on Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Due to the increasing number of patients the hospitals in the city has run out of beds for severely ill Covid-19 patients in both public and private hospitals. Patients calling the BMC’s disaster management cell (1916) on Monday and Tuesday were told to register on a waitlist as beds were not available.

In a shocking incident, a 65-year-old Byculla resident died on Tuesday after he did not get a bed at KEM hospital in Mumbai. 

As per reports, the man was taken to KEM Hospital on Tuesday after he complained of fever and breathlessness on Monday. The man's COVID-19 test report came positive on Wednesday.

"For over three days, my father could not get up on his own as he was feeling very weak. Initially, we tried to admit him at Nair Hospital but could not succeed. Later, we went to KEM Hospital. Though the hospital admitted him we could not get a bed. We then put a bedsheet and made him lie on the passage," said the victim's daughter. The daughter also alleged that teh doctors did not provide treatment to his father and only took swab samples. 

"He was also angry as doctors did not start his treatment and no one tested his sugar level. Also, no medicines were given to him. After seeing all this, we could not convince him to stay in the hospital and then brought him home. My father died in the evening, said the patient's relative.   

In a video tweeted by BJP leader Ram Kadam on Friday, some patients at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital were seen sleeping & sitting on the floor of the hospital earlier today. BJP leaders allege that hospital beds were not available for them so they had to be on the floor.

https://twitter.com/hashtag/KEM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KEM hospital today 11.45 am .. video . you can see how no of patients are siting on ground ? No medical help ? Nothing ? So sad . Wil maharashtra govt wake up ? https://twitter.com/OfficeofUT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficeofUThttps://twitter.com/CMOMaharashtra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CMOMaharashtrahttps://twitter.com/AjitPawarSpeaks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AjitPawarSpeakshttps://twitter.com/rajeshtope11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajeshtope11https://t.co/HzA8WBQLwR">pic.twitter.com/HzA8WBQLwR

— Ram Kadam (@ramkadam) https://twitter.com/ramkadam/status/1261197245896110080?ref_src=twsrc%5…">May 15, 2020