Vijayawada: 63-year-old COVID-19 suspect goes missing from hospital
Jul 03, 2020
Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 3 : A 63-year-old COVID-19 suspect went missing under suspicious conditions from a government hospital in Vijayawada.
According to Dhanalakshmi, wife of the missing person, Vasanta Rao (63yrs) was suffering from asthmatic conditions, hiccups and weakness. He was taken to the new government hospital where two women took Rao inside the hospital in a wheelchair, saying his pulse was dropping.
Dhanalakshmi said, "On 24th June, my husband was suffering from asthmatic conditions, hiccups and general weakness. As he was not ready to go to the hospital, we took him to a family friend. He suggested us to go to the government hospital. Following that we went to new government hospital where we registered his name in OP."
"As my husband was feeling weak, I made him sit nearby and gave his details for the registration. For registration, they were asking for Aadhar number, which I did not carry that day. So, I requested them to submit the same on the next day and they accepted it," she said.
"Meanwhile, two women came from inside and took my husband inside in a wheelchair. When asked where they were taking him, they said that his pulse was dropping and he should be given oxygen immediately. I asked to accompany him but they did not allow me. I decided to wait outside for some time. But when a few hours had passed I check with the staff but they did not give me any information. At around 5 pm, they asked me to go home and bring the Aadhar card the next day," she further said.
"On June 25, I went to the hospital with the Aadhar card but he was not there at all. I searched for him in the entire hospital till 8 pm and I could not find him. I again went to the hospital on June 26," she added.
When Dhanalakshmi asked Hospital superintendent Sobha about his missing husband, she said that they are also searching for him. As of July 2, he is still missing.
Vijayawada one town police station inspector P Venkateswarlu told ANI over the phone, "We have registered a missing report of Vasanta Rao on 29th June. We had checked and verified the CCTV footage of the hospital. It is recorded in CCTV footage that he was being taken in a wheelchair. But there is no record about his discharge from the hospital nor he is found anywhere in the hospital. We are trying to inquire about the hospital staff in this regard."
