Patient fails to get ambulance, hitches scooter ride to AIIMS
Bhubaneswar: A 42-year-old resident of Patrapada who tested positive for Covid apparently could not get an ambulance to take him to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday. He had to be taken to the hospital on his friend’s scooter.
“He was in a terrible condition and could not stand for long. I called the ambulance service but got no response. I then decided to take him to the hospital on my scooter,” Bimalendu Pradhan, the friend, said.
Pradhan said neither he nor his family has been tested for the virus in spite of their exposure to the patient. “I tried calling the 104 helpline but they diverted my call,” he alleged.
Pratima Muduli, the wife of the patient, said she was in home quarantine with her son, daughter and aunt. “I have not yet been contacted yet by anyone on what I should be doing now. Though none of us has developed any symptom, we are living in fear,” she said.
She said her husband visited several places for work, including Cuttack, in the recent past. “He complained of fever and severe body ache last Wednesday. When his condition did not improve, he decided to go for Covid test. He tested positive on Monday,” she added.
BMC commissioner Prem Chandra Choudhary said he was aware of the case. “The patient is being treated at AIIMS and we have begun contact tracing. The family and close contacts will be tested for the virus in five days,” he said.