Sunsari, March 6

The family of a patient has accused doctors at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, of intentionally delaying treatment over fear of coronavirus.

Family members had taken a person, who returned from South Korea recently and was suffering from sore throat to the hospital last afternoon. Over suspicion that he might have contracted coronavirus, the doctors at the hospital had kept him in isolation.

But, according to the patient’s kin no doctor came to tend to the patient for 24 hours.

The hospital is said to have formed a rapid response committee about a month ago and set up an isolation ward to treat possible coronavirus patients, but its claims of solid preparedness to handle possible coronavirus patients has been exposed by the latest incident.

“It was distressing that the doctors simply ditched our patient upon learning that he had fled from the Teku-based Shukraraj Tropical Hospital,” said the patient’s kin. “It was like keeping the patient in detention without giving him required medical care for as long as 24 hours.”

According to family members, they had to go to call for doctors after the patient started developing depression symptoms for not getting any medical attention for 24 hours. He is now being given psychological counselling.

BPKIHS Deputy-spokesperson Dr Ashok Eir said the patient had no coronavirus symptoms. “The preliminary test has ruled out any coronavirus symptoms. For final confirmation we have sent his throat swab to Teku Hospital for a test,” he said, adding the patient seemed to have  some mental complications.

Dr Eir denied the allegation that doctors had ditched the patient. “He was treated under our supervision. So the allegation that we abandoned him is not true,” he said.

“It’s not necessary that a doctor should be round the clock in front of the patient even if s/he has contracted the coronavirus, and there is nothing wrong in our handling of the patient,” he claimed.