Patients made to wait outside ward during Khattar’s visit

Tribune News Service

Hisar, April 29

Two Covid patients had to wait at the entrance of the gate as cops restricted entry to the Covid ward during the visit of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to the Civil Hospital in Jind today.

The CM had arrived in Jind to review the Covid-related arrangements and also visited the hospital briefly. As the cops accompanying the CM closed the door to the main block of the hospital, two Covid patients on wheel-chair arrived at the hospital with their attendants.

A video that went viral on the social media indicated that one of the patients, hailing from Khatkar village of the district, was having breathing problem as his oxygen level was stated to be low.

The attendants of the patient alleged that they had to wait for nearly 20 minutes at the gate and also knocked at the gate to draw the attention of the hospital staff. As an elderly person persistently knocked, a police official opened the gate from inside and let the Covid patients in.

Some of the attendants later raised the issue with the Chief Minister who instantly called the Civil Surgeon and directed him to inquire the matter whether there had been any delay in the admission of the Covid patients due to the police restrictions during his visit.

Civil Surgeon Dr Manjeet Singh maintained that the patients had to wait for only five-six minutes, as the police, on CM duty, closed the entry to the main block. “I inquired into the matter after the CM’s instruction and found that none of the patients faced any problems due to the police restricts curbs.”