Man in Noida Dies of COVID, Kin Wait for Hours for Ambulance

The son of the deceased also said that he had been trying to get the man hospitalised for days, but couldn’t.

In the video that went viral on social media, the son of the deceased is heard pleading for help while the wife is seen sitting next to the deceased man’s body. 

(Image: Altered by The Quint)

A video has gone viral in which a man who lost his father to COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida is seen asking for help to take his deceased father’s body for cremation. The video also shows his old mother sitting next to the body.

The 75-year-old died of coronavirus on 12 April after all the family members, including the wife of the deceased, the son and his wife tested positive for the virus. The incident is reported to have taken place in Sector 76, Noida.

In the video, the son of the deceased says, “This is my father Devnarayan Jha and she is my mother. We are all COVID-positive. My father passed away at 1:30 pm. We have informed our relatives. PCR had also come to our house. It’s 6:30 pm now but they haven’t sent the ambulance yet.’’

The deceased tested positive on 9 April. The test was conducted through a private lab followed by home isolation on the advice of a doctor at a private hospital. The family alleged that they had called the Rapid Response Team (RRT) for help when his health deteriorated.

What the Deceased’s Son Says

The deceased's son told The Quint that his father would have survived if he had received timely treatment.

“As his health deteriorated, we tried our best to admit him. We tried calling on the helpline number for two days but didn’t get any assistance. Also tried to call on almost all the numbers that were available on Google, but nothing worked. We tried reaching for help on the WhatsApp group of the Quarantine Centre. They kept stalling us by saying that they will admit him and send an ambulance, but by then my father had passed away.”

Son of the deceased

The deceased's son and his wife are now hospitalised.

Probe Against Doctor Who Suggested Home Isolation; CMO Says Family Never Reached Out

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Gautam Buddh Nagar has instituted an inquiry against the doctor who gave the advice for home isolation, asking how could the deceased be advised home isolation when he was suffering from hypertension and had co-morbidities.

Meanwhile, a press release that was issued by the CMO office said that no contact was made by the family at the call centre or RRT.

COVID-19 cases are on a surge across cities of Uttar Pradesh like Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Lack of proper testing facilities and non-availability of beds have been reported from different districts of Uttar Pradesh.