15-month-old child dies of Covid at KGH

VISAKHAPATNAM: A 15-month-old child died of Covid-19 at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. The parents of the child alleged that inordinate delay in hospital admission led to the death.
According to the child’s father, I Veera Babu, a native of Chodipalli village in Atchutapuram mandal, the child developed a fever and cold four days ago. She was taken to a private hospital in Anakapalle where she tested negative for Covid-19 on a rapid antigen test. However, when the fever did not subside even after three days of treatment, doctors prescribed an RT-PCR test.
Veera Babu took his daughter to another private hospital in Gajuwaka, where a CT scan confirmed Covid-19. But the hospital refused to treat the child. Then, Veera Babu approached KGH on Tuesday evening. “We waited at least an hour in the ambulance,” alleged a tearful Veera Babu.
KGH authorities claimed that the baby reached the hospital in a critical condition in an ambulance at 3.40 pm. “The baby was shifted to triaging at around 4 pm and a general physician and paediatrician attended the baby. But the baby expired after resuscitation at about 5:10 pm due to viral pneumonia, i.e. Covid-19,” said a KGH official. The KGH superintendent issued a press release in the evening denying allegations of negligence.