Refused by hospitals, ailing girl suffers at home in Ctg
A 16-year-old girl who today tested negative for Covid-19 has had to return home in ailing condition after being refused admission by four hospitals over the last week.
Her samples were eventually collected by Bangladesh Institute of Tropical Infectious Disease (BITID) on Saturday and the results came out negative yesterday, our Chattogram correspondent reports quoting the family and health officials.
They will get the written test results tomorrow, after which the family will take her to the hospital, her father said.
Rafikul Islam, from Pomra union of Rangunia upazila, told The Daily Star today that his daughter Sanzida Islam Sumaiya was experiencing cough, chest pain and fever for at least week.
He said they first approached Rangunia upazila health complex on Thursday, where they administered some medicine and asked to keep his daughter at home quarantine.
Rafikul then took Sanzida for a consultation with a private practitioner as her condition was deteriorating on Thursday evening and the doctor took her X-ray and suggested that they go to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) immediately.
The misery began when they went to CMCH, he alleged, saying no doctor attended to his daughter because of her symptoms, instead asking them to go to General Hospital as it was dedicated for coronavirus patients.
"We went to General Hospital at 3:00am on Thursday. They did not even have a glance at the patient. They told us to take the patient to Bangladesh Institute of Tropical Infectious Disease (BITID) to test for coronavirus," he said.
He alleged that when they rushed her daughter to BITID, the people there misbehaved with them at reception, driving them out of hospital premises.
"I was pleading them to take her sample for the test, but they were repeatedly rebuking us, saying my daughter does not need any test. They were shouting to take the patient back home," he said.
At the intervention of BITID director, they finally took the sample, he said.
"Since Saturday we are at home with my daughter and her condition is deteriorating," he added.
MA Hasan, director of BITID, told The Daily Star that they took the sample from the patient and she tested negative for Covid-19.
He said he does not know who misbehaved as they did not get a specific allegation. If they come up with a specific allegation, they will take action.
Rajib Palit, Rangunia upazila health officer, told The Daily Star that the girl had a problem in her right lung, which is why they referred her to CMCH. As she exhibited some Covid-19 symptoms, they referred her to be tested for the virus.
He said they were keeping an eye on her condition to make sure she gets proper treatment at home.
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