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Elderly couple lost lives due to poor response of 108 GVK EMRI Active Covid cases drop by 2500 in HP

December 31, 2020 4 minutes read

Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source: Internet

Shimla, Dec 31

Where on one hand a Shimla-based family has accused the 108 National Ambulance Service of negligence in the case of death of an elderly couple. The good news is that active Covid cases in Himachal Pradesh have dropped to o 2,500-mark on Thursday after witnessing a constant decline this month. The state now has 2,517 active cases from around 8,300 a month ago, which is a decline of around 70 percent.

The allegation

In a complaint to IGMC hospital medical superintendent, the grandson of the couple alleged that his family had called the ambulance to their residence in Tutu after health of his grandparents deteriorated. Quoting a incidence of Dec 29 Akshay Vohra a victim alleged in a Facebook posthttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4238261169524511&id=100000220087101 complaint on Thursday and a letter sent to health authority on Tuesday. stated that a major negligence had occurred by the National Ambulance Services Shimla due to which he lost his Grand Mother and Grand father both today.

He said that there was no oxygen supply, the attendant was a pharmacist but had no idea about the Oxygen; that it had finished before arriving at the pick up location. Also the ambulance services were told to get two stretchers where as they only got one.

Vohra added that the loss was not the only error, even the Omni Van broke down when they were on the way to the cremation ground here in Shimla. He said that since it is hill station and every one knows healthcare facilities can become difficult to be fully provided because of the terrain. The post also said that there is dire need to invest more money and plans to build the health care infra up. It is shameful act and sheer negligence on the part of GVK EMRI the firm which is running NAS.

Posts also blames IGMC Shimla, Union Minister for state Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and BJP office of JP Nadaa. Post got comments from 63 people and it was immediately shared by 121 people who agreed with the post.

The Complainant also shot letter to IGMC Medical superintendent which read that this is to inform you that two patients named S R Sood and Santosh Sood lost their lives while travelling to IGMC Hospital from Totu inside the Ambulance.

Before hand on call the Ambulance (108)GVK EMIR (National Ambulance Service) was informed to get two stretchers and Oxygen as the ambulance arrived around 1215 pm on Dec 29, 2020 there was only one stretcher Zero Oxygen in the Ambulance.”

Abhishek Bhangalia, manager (operations) for GVK EMRI 108 National Ambulance Service, the company which runs the ambulance service, denied these allegations. “The house of the patients was at a distance from the road, and they were shifted to the ambulance on a stretcher. Adequate oxygen supply was available in the ambulance but both the patients were in a critical condition and their vitals were unrecordable,” he said.

About declining cases

Himachal Pradesh which faced peak pandemic in the month of November is recording gradual declining in the active cases and recovery rates as the active cases remained around 2500 in the state.

Mandi district currently has the highest number of active cases, i.e 534, followed by Kangra which has 524 active cases. There have been 919 Covid-related deaths in the state so far (excluding patients from Himachal who passed away after being referred to PGI in Chandigarh or other hospitals outside the state).
There was a sharp spike in Covid cases in Himachal in November, but the daily number of recoveries have mostly been exceeding the new cases this month, leading to a decline in the number of active patients.

As on mid-day, December 31, Total Cases – 55,143 Active Cases – 2,517, Recoveries – 51,659 and Deaths – 919

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