Tirupati: Covid ICU ward reverberated with cries of patients, attendants

Tirupati: Medical staff, nurses running from one bed to another to save lives, a woman breaking down looking at her husband's mortal remains, crying family members were the heart-wrenching scenes inside the ICU ward in SVR Ruia Government General Hospital here, following the interruption of oxygen supply to Covid patients for around 30 minutes on Monday night.

As narrated by some eyewitnesses, there were horrendous and disturbing scenes inside the ICU which revealed the chaos prevailed there on Monday night. Covid patients who were badly in need of oxygen support were seen gasping for air during their last battle for life while their attendants expressing severe anguish, seeing their wards' agonal breathing.

The attendants made various attempts to save their loved ones and used hand fans while some tried to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) besides various other things which have gone in vain. A positive patient said that Covid took away his father last week while he and his mother were admitted to Ruia hospital for the last one week. His mother's saturation has fallen below 90 and was under a NIV mask. Now, due to the unfortunate incident, he lost his mother too.

Another woman has made a desperate attempt by giving oral resuscitation to her husband but could not save him. Now she left with only two children. A woman patient was seen banging her head with her hands while grasping for breath as her young son looked at her with confusion and pain.

Several other attendants were also in deep distress seeing the pathetic situation of their close relatives on beds in the ICU. Seeing the dead body of her son, a woman was wailing loudly saying that what she has to tell her grandchildren about him. A son could not control his feelings after losing his father minutes after taking the tiffin.

The attendants blamed the government which could not even provide oxygen to the patients in this pandemic time. They pointed their fingers at the Ruia hospital authorities as well alleging that their negligence has caused interruption in oxygen supply.

At some stage, they lost control and went into argument with nurses and doctors there. They even resorted to vandalism inside the ICU damaging various instruments. Police entered the scene and tried to control the situation. Till midnight the chaos continued on the hospital premises.