AGARTALA, July 29 (TIWN): A COVID-19 Positive man died without oxygen support in a hospital in Tripura, Indian Express News has reported.

The media has reported that in a Udaipur Hospital, in wait for of Oxygen support Shyamalendu Bhowmik has died.

“Shyamalendu, who used to frequent hospitals for the treatment of kidney and cardiac problems, had developed a temperature a few days back. The family continued medication at home for a couple of days till the patient started experiencing serious respiratory problems. Amitabha took his fatter to the district hospital on Sunday morning, where the two underwent mandatory rapid antigen tests. After test results came positive for both, the authorities allegedly kept the two waiting on a wheelchair for over an hour while arranging for an oxygen cylinder and the ambulance to take them to Agartala. By then, Shyamalendu had died on the wheelchair”, reported Indian Express.

Gomati district Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Niru Mohan Jamatia admitted to some delay in processing the patient, but said it was due to precautions of packing the body in leak-proof body bag, decontamination, PPEs for ambulance driver, nurses as per government guidelines. “This was the first COVID-19 death in our district. It is very difficult to counsel people to help in handling the deceased. Sweeping staff didn’t want to process it and no ambulance agreed to transport it to Agartala,” the official explained, adding how communicating this to the capital too took some time...the Report added.