Mangaluru: A private hospital in the city has been accused of not treating a man who was injured in an accident on the grounds that he was Covid-19 positive.
Siraj, 26, an auto-rickshaw driver, was injured in his right leg in the accident that occurred in Padu near Neermarga on July 15 and was admitted to the private hospital. He said that the doctors took a sample of his throat swab before treating him and assured that they would operate his leg after two days. On July 17, when his Covid-19 test report showed that he was infected, however, the doctors said that they would operate only after he recovered from Covid-19, said Siraj.
“The doctors did not give me anything to alleviate the terrible pain too. I was shifted to the District Wenlock Hospital when I requested, but I was still charged Rs 23,000,” he has complained.
He added that district hospital doctors are treating him for the Covid-19 attack. “The treatment will continue for 10 days, but they have cast my leg in plaster for now,” Siraj said.
District health officer-in-charge Dr. Rathnakar said that they could operate only after Siraj recovered from COVID-19. “This is a serious case of injury and requires us to take a lot of precaution while operating,” he explained.
