JAGMOHAN SINGH
Amritsar, April 4, 2020 - The family members of Padma Shri awardee and former ''Hazuri Raagi'' at the Golden Temple Bhai Nirmal Singh have blamed the doctors of Isolated ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital for his death due to their sheer negligence.
Family have released the recording of voice call with Nirmal Singh before few hour of his death wherein Raagi while talking to his son and daughter saying, “ I am not getting proper treatment in the isolated ward, doctors are not giving me medicine, if this situation remains continue I may die shortly. I feel I am guest of few moments. Shift me some other hospital otherwise will commit suicide”.
Family alleged Nirmal Singh had repeatedly asked the doctors to shift him on ventilator as feeling breathlessness but none of the senior doctor went inside the isolated ward to check him, since only one junior doctor and some nurses were attending him.
Raagi was undergoing treatment for coronavirus here died early Thursday morning. The 62-year-old ''Gurbani'' exponent had recently returned from abroad and tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the paramedical staff and nurses of Isolated ward of Guru Nanak Dev hospital held massive protest against the administration support the claim of family said that patient died due to utter negligent behavior of senor doctors who never visited the isolation ward.
Talking to media paramedical staff and nurses alleged that isolated ward was left on auto pilot mode, since no PPE kits, even proper masks were not available for the working staff. They alleged Rs. 1000 diet money per day fixed per patient but nothing was given to any of the patient. Even water bottles for patients arranged with the contribution of staff nurses.
Paramedical staff and nurses alleged that they were not getting mandatory infrastructure including proper mask even sanitizers, even statures were not being sanitized. They alleged that nurses and other staff who were serving the late Hazuri Raagi Nirmal Singh were not quarantined, there was dire need of isolation for all staff.
Senior doctors of Guru Ramdas Hospital of 200 beds with 50 advanced ventilators with medical college being run by the SGPC said before the admission of Raagi at Guru Nanak Dev hospital his X-Ray chest and CT Chest was done here, mild patches on chest were found. It was beginning of Corona virus. But Guru Ramdas was not permitted by the state Government to collect blood sample for the purpose of Corona virus test even not permitted for treatment. Doctor seeking anonymity said that Raagi’s condition was not such a worst it was gross negligence on the part of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital even district administration which was not allowing the other institute to treat such patients. If the Raagi after the conformation of Corona virus test would have been shifted here he might have been saved, since entire medical college staff and hospital doctors were on toes to save such a pious religious personality.
On being contacted Principal Medical College Dr. Sujata Sharma who vehemently denied the allegations said, “ Raagi ji was shifted here on advanced stage of Corona virus. He was given all proper treatment with required injectables but he was utterly scared after learning about positive of virus. He was not willing to stay in the isolation ward and continuously demanding to shift him some private hospital”, she quipped.