Bihar patient dies waiting for ambulance, another taken on vegetable cart

While over three dozen unused ambulances were recovered from the office premises of BJP's Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Covid patients in Bihar are struggling for ambulances to be taken to or transferred between hospitals.

In Supaul, a corona patient died in absence of oxygen and an ambulance outside the Covid care centre set up at a community centre in Triveniganj.

As per relatives, the man was taken to Covid Care Centre after he complained about breathing problems. He arrived at the centre around 12 noon on Saturday, and his oxygen level was 65 at that time. There was only one nurse present, and referred him to another hospital.

"The staff of Covid Care Centre asked the patient and relatives to go outside. As the patient was unable to walk, he sat on the road. We continuously requested the Centre employees to provide an ambulance but they refused. At 4 p.m., he eventually died on the street. After his death, the employees came with an oxygen cylinder and put the pipe on his nose," the deceased's brother said.

As the victim's family and local residents protested against the district administration, Triveniganj SHO Sandeep Kumar Singh and Additional SDO Pramod Kumar reached the spot and assured action against the errant Covid centre employees.

In West Champaran's Narkatiaganj, Chandan Paswan, 30, complained about breathing problems, and his family members immediately called the Civil Surgeon's office and the helpline number of district administration for an ambulance.

"As the ambulance did not reach after two hours, we arranged a vegetable cart and took him to the sub-divisional hospital in Narkatiaganj," his father Munilal Paswan said.

As his condition was serious, the doctors referred him to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Bettiah.