Evolution of Love 2

Covid

I lost my beloved father-in-law to COVID-19 on 22nd May. He was 64.

I am inactive on social media since few years but this post is very critical for everyone during this pandemic.

Let me share some facts which are very critical for the govt. and the public in general to know so that no other precious life is lost.
Chain of events:
- 11th/12th May: He got fever of 98-99 (mostly normal)
- 13th/14th May: Fever increased to 100+ with mild sore throat (we got a bit worried)
- 15th/16th May: Fever increased to 101+ with mild throat.
- 17th/ 18th May: This is when we decided to get the tests done. However someone told that if fever >100 persists for 5 days or more, only then the test should be done. We were hesitant but since dad insisted we waited till 18th May. In the meanwhile, fever remained the same. Since he was in Delhi and we were in Chandigarh, we tried umpteen number of labs (including some big names like lal/SRL etc) for home collection (since we didn’t want to expose him to others in case he had covid). No lab was ready to come home. Then came the much glamorized Arogya Setu app from where we got a lab “City Xray and Scan, Tilak Nagar” who were kind enough to come and test at home. – BLUNDER 1
- 18th / 19th May: He was tested and it was “Negative”. Big sigh of relief! But the fever didn’t go down. Infact, it wasn’t going down even after having Crocin ! – BLUNDER 2
- 20th May: Fever persisted and we consulted a doctor who told us to get other tests done to check the cause of fever. At night, he started feeling heaviness in breathing but he didn’t tell us. BLUNDER 3
- 21st May: Fever persisted and breathlessness remained. This is where he told us and was shifted to a hospital. Hospital was hesitant to take him since he had covid symptoms but since we had a negative report, they took him and started examinations and tests (including covid test again). His sugar levels were abysmally high and were out of control.
- 22nd May: He was put on ventilator. Covid reports this time was “Positive”. – BLUNDER 4
- 22nd May: Since he was a covid positive, the hospital wanted to shift him to a covid hospital for which they asked “us” to find a hospital. Challenge doesn’t end here, we also needed an ambulance with ventilator which wasn’t there. We tried almost all hospitals including govt hospital LNJP and got only one answer that ventilators are not available!! – BLUNDER 5
- 22nd May (9.45 pm): We went to the ICU to check on him and got to know that we lost him! (heartbreak for all)
- 23rd May: We couldn’t see him for the last time also! My mom in law is in quarantine alone!! So are we! In this time of grief.
- 24th May: The central govt. was saying how well they have managed covid. State CM, PMO India PMO India Arvind Kejriwal said in a press conference that Delhi is well prepared as it has 250 ventilators and no hospital can deny covid patients. I don’t know about 250 ventilators but we couldn’t find even a single one that night!!!

Lessons: I will not just criticize here, I shall give the potential solutions too!
1. COVID reports come negative !! its called false negative. Had it not been negative we would have shifted him 3 days earlier! (Solution: delist the labs from where the false negatives are coming, find the reason for it!)
2. No one knows the covid infrastructure and there is no central portal from where anyone (hospital or patient) can check if bed or ventilator is available !! (Solution: is so simple that someone makes a software where all hospitals are integrated!! But it is not there in a country which has IT giants such as Tata consultancy services, Noida or Infosys)
3. No one knows when to go to a hospital or get the tests done, covid hospitals are not accepting covid patients till they are covid positive (and very few labs are testing for covid). No one knows which labs are collecting sample at home ! To add to the misery, non covid hospitals are not taking patients with covid symptoms!! (Solution: Public awareness about what to do in which situation is not there, why are there no public bulletins or massive ad campaigns for it)

In toto, it’s a complete mess! I am writing this so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else ever! I don’t intend to criticize the govt here, I want them to read this and correct this mess. Ground reality is far from whats being projected !! Lastly, whoever is taking this pandemic as “Kuch nai hai, kuch nai hota etc”… you are fool and potentially the most dangerous people!

Stay safe, take full precautions !