A selfie video of 34-year-old V Ravi Kumar, who succumbed to Covid-19 at a government hospital in Hyderabad, alleges that he was not given oxygen support even after he complained of breathlessness, media reports said.
The incident that took place on June 26, 2020 and the video had surfaced on social media and by June 28, 2020, had sparked outrage among social media users, reported ANI.
In the selfie video the man is heard saying that he is struggling to breathe as his ventilator had been removed. “They have removed ventilator and have not been responding to my plea for the last three hours to provide oxygen support. My heart has stopped and only lungs are working, but I am unable to breathe, daddy. Bye daddy. Bye all, bye daddy,” the man said in the short video selfie, which he had sent to his father from his bed at the Government Chest Hospital in Erragadda of Hyderabad.
In the video addressed to his father, the man says he has been in this condition for the past three hours. Shortly after the video was sent, the man passed away.
Venkatesh, father of patient Ravi Kumar speaking to ANI over the phone on Sunday said: “My son aged 34 years had high fever and we took him to several hospitals in our neighbourhood on June 23 but none admitted him. Then we went to NIMS where a doctor referred us to the Chest hospital in Erragadda.”
“On June 24 we admitted him to the Chest hospital but even at Erragadda hospital nobody treated my son, they did not even provide oxygen to him. Even after he requested them they didn’t give him oxygen and said they did not know what to do. On June 26 early hours Ravi sent three videos to me and later I received a call from hospital that he had passed away.”
Venkatesh said they received the COVID report stating that Ravi was positive.
“The hospital called us at around 2:00 am and said that our son is no more,” Venkatesh said.
The father also alleged that the police personnel had not allowed the family inside the hospital when they had gone to get themselves tested.
“The police personnel did not allow us inside Gandhi Hospital when we went there for treatment. There are six people in our family and till now nobody has come to test us. My son recorded a video stating he was denied ventilator for three hours straight, due to which he turned critical and left this world. I feel sad about the health response in the State,” the father of Ravi said.
V Ravi Kumar is survived by his wife and two children, reported ANI.
HEARTBREAKING: “Can’t breathe, they removed the ventilator. It’s been 3hrs, I asked and they said u had enough. I feel that my heart stopped beating, nothing left in me.Bye daddy,bye everyone”-last video of 35yr old man who succumbed to #COVID Family wants video shared #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/IeNiUwkoHj
— Revathi (@revathitweets) June 28, 2020