Cop succumbs to COVID, student bodies point fingers
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 13 2020: One police Constable posted at the Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) died of COVID-19 at RIMS ICU this morning at around 10.15, pushing the State's COVID-19 death toll to 13 .

The police Constable was admitted to RIMS on July 2 .

The 37 year old man contracted pneumonia after he was already tested positive for the contagion.

He also suffering from hypertension.

The Constable was actively involved in arresting a woman drug smuggler who was COVID-19 positive.

As such, there is a strong suspicion that he got the virus from the woman.

The deceased who hailed from Mayang Imphal had no history of travelling outside the State but he was staying at Sana Keithel quarters.

Meanwhile, as many as six student bodies namely; AIMS, AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA, and SUK have blamed the technician deputed at the RIMS COVID isolation ward for the death of the COVID-19 patient.

According to a joint press release issued by the six student bodies, the patient was writhing in acute pain and struggling for life at around 5 am today.

As another patient hospitalised in the same ward checked what was happening with the Constable, it was found that the Constable for struggling for life as he was deprived of medical oxygen.

Even as the technician on duty was asked to replace new canister of medical oxygen, the technician could not be found nor did he/she pick up his/her phone.

Had medical oxygen been provided in time, the patient could have been saved, said the student bodies.

They appealed to the Chief Minister to look into the matter and urged the RIMS authority to take up befitting action against the staff who were on duty at the COVID isolation ward this morning.

The student bodies said that they would take up the shocking incidents of death caused by denial of timely treatment to non-COVID patients by public and private hospitals in the State.

They appealed to all the people to inform them if any public or private hospital refuses to admit patients in emergency situations.

On the other hand, RIMS authority has clarified that the person who succumbed to COVID-19 had "hypertension and obesity".

He suffered from pneumonia due to COVID-19 and died of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The allegation that the person died due to lack of oxygen is baseless as there is no lack of oxygen cylinders and oxygen at RIMS.

In reality, oxygen cannot enter into the lungs of the patient because of the underlying lung pathology due to COVID-19 related pneumonia.

Since admission, RIMS has been giving best available medications to counter the pneumonic consolidation.

RIMS even procured "expensive" antiviral medicines for the patient, said the hospital.

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