46-yr-old pneumonia patient dies at RMCH, hospital’s nurse sent to Dhaka for tests

A 46-year-old pneumonia patient, who had been awaiting a coronavirus test, died in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital today, our Rajshahi correspondent reports.

Meanwhile in an unrelated matter, an RMCH nurse, who was put in home quarantine over coronavirus suspicions, was sent to Dhaka as her test could not be done in the last five days.

The deceased -- a 46-year-old woman from Rajshahi's Katakhali area -- died around 1:00am, Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, in-charge of the ICU of RMCH said.

She had been asking about whether she had contracted coronavirus since being admitted on March 22 with severe pneumonia, a vital complication which arises in those infected.

Two days later, she was taken to the ICU as her condition deteriorated, the doctor said.

"She had all the major symptoms of coronavirus. She couldn't remember all of the people she came into contact with," he said.

"We wanted to have her tested, but we did not have the facility to do so.

"When we decided to send samples of her swabs to Dhaka for the test, we found we had no trained person to collect blood and swab samples of a coronavirus suspected patient," said Dr Kamal.

Her body was handed over to her family members and they buried her following regular social customs, he said.

None of her family members could be reached for comments over this matter.

The RMCH authority had earlier on Tuesday afternoon sent a nurse to Dhaka.

The senior nurse of RMCH medicine unit claimed she had come into contact with an Italy expatriate while travelling to Rajshahi from Natore on a passenger bus.

In a few days, she fell ill and went to the corona unit for treatment, running a high fever, and having respiratory problems and pain.

She was asked to remain in home quarantine on March 21 and to contact IEDCR for having her test.

When contacted again today, the nurse told this correspondent that she contacted IEDCR several times, but they couldn't send anyone to collect her samples.

"None at RMCH dare to collect samples from me as they have no training," the nurse said.

Finding no other way, she was sent to Dhaka.

She was admitted to the isolation unit of Kurmitola General Hospital on Tuesday night and she was not tested until yesterday.

Meanwhile, doctors and officials of the Corona unit in Rajshahi said more than one patient was visiting the unit daily, but they had no means to test any of them.