Delhi: COVID-19 patient fails to get bed, dies; family attacks hospital staff

New Delhi, April 27

Family members of a woman, who allegedly died due to COVID-19 after failing to get a bed at Apollo Hospital in south Delhi, attacked the staff of the private healthcare facility on Tuesday, police said.

However, they said no complaint has been filed in this regard so far.

“The hospital received a woman in a critical condition at the emergency in the early hours of Tuesday. Immediate medical attention appropriate to her condition was given by a team,” the hospital’s spokesperson said in a statement.

“Given the paucity of beds, the family was advised to shift the patient to another facility with available beds. Unfortunately, the patient died around 8 am, following which her family members resorted to vandalism, destruction of hospital property and assault on our doctors and staff,” it said.

While the hospital deeply condoles the death of the patient, it is deeply shocked at the behaviour of the patient’s family against doctors and healthcare workers who are providing untiring services amidst the pandemic, the spokesperson said in the statement.

Pictures circulating on social media showed blood on the floor, broken doors and furniture strewn around inside the hospital.

A purported video clip of the incident showed the hospital staff and some people engaged in a pitch battle, hitting each other with sticks, near the hospital’s entry gate. PTI