KASUR: The Punjab health secretary has summoned Kasur district health authority head to his office over the death of a COVID-19 patient in an ambulance with complete record.

Deputy Commissioner Manzar Javid, on Saturday, also held an inquiry into the incident to determine whether any negligence by health officials caused the death of Zaheer Asghar (53).

The DC had asked the DHQ Hospital medical superintendent and health district officer to submit reports on the incident within a couple of days.

Asghar, a resident of Rasoolpur village, was declared positive for Covid-19 at the Ittefaq Hospital Lahore and was discharged on May 21. He was also suffering from renal failure, diabetes and hypertension.

The DHQ hospital, after a few hours referred Asghar to the Lahore General Hospital. However, the LGH denied admission to him and referred him to Expo Centre field hospital, but the patient died in an ambulance outside the facility.

The DC said the victim remained under treatment for kidney failure (dialysis) at the Ittefaq Hospital for one month and contracted coronavirus there.

He also said under the SOPs set by the Punjab government, the private hospitals were bound to accommodate Covid-19 patients and treat them.

He regretted that that Ittefaq Hospital staff took samples of Asghar on May 20 and declared him positive for virus on May 21, but discharged him, which was against professional and ethical norms.

He said that DHQ hospital administration had referred the patient to Lahore in critical condition for better treatment. He also said that any official found guilty of negligence would be dealt strictly as per law.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2020