<p>When a 56-year-old woman resident of Bengaluru first visited a private hospital on Monday, May 4, to get treatment for breathlessness, she was treated as a routine case with a respiratory infection.</p>.<p>Despite a government edict demanding that anyone with respiratory problems, especially those with symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) be tested for COVID-19, the hospital did not take a swab sample, explained Dr K Srinivas, the District Health Officer of Bengaluru Urban.</p>.<p>“As the patient’s condition worsened, she was directed to another private hospital in HBR Layout on May 6 where again, no testing for COVID-19 was done,” Dr Srinivas added.</p>.<p>The woman, now designated as Patient 846, died of complications arising from SARI on May 7. A swab sample taken after her death came back as positive for COVID-19 on Saturday night, health officials said.</p>.<p>Health officials lambasted the failure to test the patient when she was alive, blaming medical personnel at these private institutions for not adhering to regulations.</p>.<p>Officers of the Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike have closed down both private hospitals for a period of 15 days for mandatory quarantine. Patients at the two centres have been relocated to other hospitals in the city.</p>
<p>When a 56-year-old woman resident of Bengaluru first visited a private hospital on Monday, May 4, to get treatment for breathlessness, she was treated as a routine case with a respiratory infection.</p>.<p>Despite a government edict demanding that anyone with respiratory problems, especially those with symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) be tested for COVID-19, the hospital did not take a swab sample, explained Dr K Srinivas, the District Health Officer of Bengaluru Urban.</p>.<p>“As the patient’s condition worsened, she was directed to another private hospital in HBR Layout on May 6 where again, no testing for COVID-19 was done,” Dr Srinivas added.</p>.<p>The woman, now designated as Patient 846, died of complications arising from SARI on May 7. A swab sample taken after her death came back as positive for COVID-19 on Saturday night, health officials said.</p>.<p>Health officials lambasted the failure to test the patient when she was alive, blaming medical personnel at these private institutions for not adhering to regulations.</p>.<p>Officers of the Bengaluru Bruhat Mahanagara Palike have closed down both private hospitals for a period of 15 days for mandatory quarantine. Patients at the two centres have been relocated to other hospitals in the city.</p>