A 58-year-old sanitation supervisor at Delhi's AIIMS died on Sunday after contracting the fatal coronavirus infection. He had tested positive for the deadly virus four days ago.
The General Secretary of AIIMS' Resident Doctors' Association wrote on Twitter: "Another corona warrior sacrifices his life in service of the country. AIIMS has lost its proud warrior. The virus is dangerous very communicable & doesn't spare anyone. "
On May 16, the supervisor got himself examined at the hospital after complaining of fever and mild respiratory discomfort. But he was allegedly not tested for the virus, Kuldeep Dhigan, general secretary of the hospital's SC/ST employees' welfare association told PTI.
"The sanitation supervisor's case did not fulfil the criteria for testing. He had only undergone routine blood tests and was sent home after he was briefed about the precautions he needed to take," Mr Dhigan said.
He was admitted to the Emergency Wing on May 19 and tested for coronavirus after his condition worsened and he developed breathing difficulties. When the reports showed he had contracted the virus, he was shifted to the Trauma Centre, which has been converted into a dedicated COVID-19 facility, Mr Dhigan told PTI.
On May 23, the Director of the Pulmonology Department of AIIMS, Dr Jitendra Nath Pande, died of COVID-19.
Dr Pande's death came a day after a mess worker at AIIMS died of the disease, prompting allegations from the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) that precautionary measures, it demanded weeks back, had not been taken.
"A mess worker from RPC canteen died of COVID-19 because the hostel section refused to take precautionary measures as demanded by RDA more than a month ago," the RDA said in a letter to the AIIMS Director on Friday.
Doctors and health workers, who are at the frontline of the fight against the contagion, have been infected with coronavirus in the national capital and in other states. In March, AIIMS had shut its out-patient department, for the first time in its history, to curb the spread of the virus.
Delhi, one of the worst-hit states of the country, has reported over 13,400 coronavirus cases with at least 261 deaths so far.
(With inputs from PTI)
