Daijiworld Media Network - Kalaburagi (SP)

Kalaburagi, Apr 9: Minister S Suresh Kumar, said that steps are being taken to register a criminal case against a private hospital here that apparently is guilty of negligence in treating a person who suffered from coronavirus infection. The man had breathed his last on Tuesday. Kumar said that a notice in this connection has already been slapped on the hospital management.

"The patient concerned displayed clear symptoms of coronavirus infection. Yet, till the last minute, the private hospital failed to refer this case to government hospital. We are taking steps to register criminal complaint against the hospital. We have ordered the hospital to be shut down for two days and all the staff there have been placed on 14-day quarantine," he explained.

S Suresh Kumar

The minister called upon the private hospitals to immediate refer patients displaying symptoms of coronavirus infection to government hospitals without fail. He noted that the deceased man was aged and functioned as fruit vendor at the bus stand. He reasoned that naturally the man had primary contact with hundreds of people, adding that the health department is working to find out such people.

"The report of the committee of health professionals formed by the state government on the issue of continuance or otherwise of the lockdown has been received. The government will scrutinise the suggestions and guidelines that the s aid report might contain, and take a concrete decision. Even now, the health department is investigating the cases where it knows how the patient was infected, he stated.

"Relating to religious convention at Nizamuddin, we have conducted tests on 808 persons and they have been kept in government quarantine. 581 from the state who are on a visit to other states, are yet to return. We have asked the respective states to take steps. Out of 181 people infected with coronavirus in the state, 71 had travelled abroad, and 110 got it through other contacts," he explained.