“I was not provided oxygen”, last words of journalist who died of corona

The Gandhi Hospital, designated as Covid-19 hospital, has failed to provide oxygen to 33-year-old TV5 crime reporter Manoj who had tested positive for the coronavirus a few days back and succumbed while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

“The hospital has failed to provide oxygen. Doctors and paramedic staff are not properly and adequately attending on corona patients. The facilities even in ICU leaves much to be desired,” these are the last words of Manoj.
Manoj also recorded the facilities or the lack of it in Gandhi Hospital while he was undergoing treatment. These visuals went viral and creating a flutter in social media over the treatment facilities in the hospital.

“The hospital management is thinking of shifting me to a private hospital” Manoj had sent the text messages to his well-wishers.

According to doctors, the journalist died of COVID-19 and comorbidities. He was suffering from bilateral pneumonitis and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). He was also diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis that paralyses all muscles. Manoj was married just about a year ago and was looking forward to the birth of his first child.

The visuals and the messages of Manoj before he died has exposed the inadeqency of Gandhi Hospital in treating corona patients. Patients and their family members are worried about whether the hospital has the capacity to provide enough oxygen to patients suffering from corona virus.

Manoj was suffering Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and oxygen is vital for patients of Covid-19 that mainly attacks the lungs and leads to dangerously low levels of oxygen in the body. When oxygen levels in blood fall, it can trigger cardiac and neurological problems.

Given that there is a spurt in corona cases, there is a critical need to maintain adequate supply of medical oxygen in the Gandhi Hospital which currently has 1,500-bed capacity and requires at least 1,000 oxygen cylinders per day.

As the state prepares for Unlock 1.0, Telangana on Sunday recorded the highest single-day spike in the Covid-19 deaths with 14 persons dying of viral infection in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 137. This is the highest death recorded in a single day from the State since the outbreak. The number of Covid-19 infections also touched a new high with 154 positive cases being recorded on Sunday, taking the state tally to 3,650 as doctors are working over-time treating patients.

With 100 patients admitted on Friday and 200 on Saturday, Gandhi Hospital has reached its full capacity. As on May 26, Gandhi Hospital was treating 659 Covid-19 cases. This number has reached 1,455 with 805 new Covid-19 cases admitted in the hospital in just 10 days. The pandemic is wreaking havoc by increasing the pressure on an already overstretched healthcare system. Gandhi Hospital currently has 1,160 capacity. The health Department has decided to allot 350 additional beds to Gandhi Hospital by expanding its infrastructure, taking the total bed capacity to 1,510.

Manoj sensational revelation has only exposed the shallowness of medical facilities in Gandhi Hospital.