A 65-year-old man, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday, 4 July, collapsed and died on the road outside his house while he was waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
Speaking to The News Minute, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said that the man, who was a resident of Hanumanatha Nagar in South Bengaluru, was walking from his home to the end of the road, where an ambulance was waiting, when he collapsed and breathed his last.
Catch all the updates on the coronavirus outbreak here.
"The man got his test results on Friday morning. His family had been trying to arrange for a private ambulance since noon on Friday. He had packed all his clothes and was waiting inside the house. But the ambulance was not available. BBMP received a call by 3:45 pm. Around 6 pm, his family was able to arrange for an ambulance. The ambulance arrived at the end of his street by 7 pm," BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said.
BBMP officials claimed that the man wanted to walk to the end of the road and board the ambulance as he did not want the vehicle to come near his house. “He was scared of what his neighbours would say and what they would talk about his family if they found out that he had COVID-19,” a senior BBMP official said.
BBMP officials said that the man may have suffered a cardiac arrest while he was walking towards the ambulance. A passerby, who was the first one to rush to the man’s rescue, is now a primary contact, The Times of India reported.
Anil Kumar said that the spot inspection was done by the police within an hour of the man’s death. His body was taken to Victoria Hospital and an autopsy was to take place on Saturday morning, before being buried as per the COVID-19 burial protocol.
“It was a miscommunication due to which the ambulance did not reach the spot on time. Action will be taken against those found guilty of lapse in this case,” Anil Kumar added.
(This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)