An ordeal that ended as a nightmare !

On April 10th, 2021 a routine check-up turned into a nightmare for my family and how we eventually lost my otherwise recovering father-in-law in just a span of 12 days. I still feel numb to address him in the past but for the benefit of everyone who may be in the dock I’ve decided to pen down our ordeal.

Well my father-in-law in the month of March, 2021 was diagnosed with a heart condition, pulmonary embolism and DVT. He underwent a successful angioplasty and a procedure for IVC filter placement for the same. As per our subsequent follow-up visits with the Cardio he was recovering well and was slated for a follow-up on April 10th. However, on that day he had a fall in the wee hours and had to be rushed into the emergency of the same hospital where we had done his other procedures owing to the past records. He was admitted, and was diagnosed immediately that he had fractured his right femur ball socket joint and therefore the orthopedic surgeon had advised for a surgery after three days of observation while his blood thinners would be allowed to wear away. So as per rules one should be tested for Covid before any surgery. Our problems quadrupled quickly and ballooned into a disaster from here. After he had tested Covid positive, he was whisked away to a Covid ward of the same hospital, a decision we would live to regret everyday of our lives.

Disclaimer - We have nothing against the hospital, it has some excellent experienced doctors and surgeons but we cannot include the nurses, admin staffs and other less experienced doctors here. They’re insensitive with no remorse and shudder from responsibility and care which I believe is the need of the hour. To begin with the doctor who was responsible for Covid was adamant, rude and indifferent, maybe he’s overworked and short staffed but should that be an excuse for negligence? Given the history that my father-in-law had already a pre-existing lung condition which untreated would end up in potential loss of life as per pulmonologists who we consulted in this case following which we on multiple accounts requested the doctor for a re-test for covid which was vehemently denied instead we were mentally conditioned to accept that he wouldn’t make it. Upon questioning the treatment he suggests us to consult an external Pulmonologist. When we questioned him regarding internal consultants he said there was none and suggested us to shift him to other hospitals on the pretext that he had completed the covid treatment and that he needs a pulmonologist. Now, we begin a frantic search for Pulmonologists who were willing to treat Covid positive patients, or hospitals who could treat patients with this complications and to our dismay we had no luck whatsoever. We turned to BBMP, registered and dialed all the given numbers for help but in vain. Finally, I convince my husband to consider the option of home care with oxygen support and video consultations with pulmonologists. Reluctantly we requested a days’ time to explore options, and this time we pushed him to redo the covid test with a recommendation letter from an external pulmonologist to which he reluctantly agreed for according to him was sheer waste and challenged us that it wouldn’t be negative in a short span of 8 days. We pacify ourselves and start exploring home treatment options for his lung infection diagnosed by the external pulmonologist – Pulmonary Embolism/Mass found in his lungs. The next day a telephonic consultation between the same pulmonologist and my father-in-law was scheduled at around 2 in the afternoon which never happened because my father-in-law succumbed to cardiac arrest and most probably they weren’t even aware.

What unfolded next just tells you the sad state of affairs in these un-regulated hospitals. In the evening we were told to collect my father-in-laws belongings and the body was moved to the morgue immediately and we were asked to wait until the next day for further clarity as the covid report was still pending. His report came negative but the doctor in his medical report stated that he died due to covid following which we had to follow covid protocols despite a negative report. It was also discovered that my father-in-laws wedding ring was stolen along with some of his other belongings which we didn’t have the energy to even follow-up. For us we had lost our loved one.

Questions which will remain unanswered:

1. The hospital had its own consultant pulmonologists and yet didn’t avail their services. However, they were available for consultation on Practo. Why didn’t they choose to consult and start treatment in consultation with their own doctors? Why were we made to run around from one hospital to another when they had their very own?

2. Not to our surprise though, but for reference that the retest for covid was negative. Though the doctor treating was unsure of this from the beginning, he in his own admission had mentioned it dint look like covid pneumonia, but instead of choosing to do a retest for covid went ahead with other tests like TB, etc. Since he tested negative in these tests concluded that he was covid positive. Despite our repeated requests and insistence from day three he didn’t comply. Should I safely conclude that because of one’s ego we lost our loved one?

3. RT-PCR tests: Are they really credible? Covid is new and ever evolving, no one is well equipped including the healthcare professionals themselves. Everyone is learning and in such scenario consultation among the various streams of medical science is essential rather than miscalculated assumptions. If in case of co-morbidities which is 60% of the total tested positive cases are we to assume that proper treatment and care will not be administered? Are we to leave such people to die?

4. Will the government not step in to provide healthcare assistance because of negligence or complications? Why don’t they show the same eagerness to follow-up on the emergency needs of the patients than just collecting their details? And why should someone with no medical knowledge, experience or understanding gets to decide on who should get the bed and where in Bangalore? It’s an apathy!

What one can learn from our experience?

1. Better to be safe, disciplined and careful than sorry. Some of us may have stronger immunities but we may because of carelessness may subject our loved ones to risk, especially the elderly and children. So practice precaution.

2. If in case of a medical emergency consider treatment from home, if it can be avoided avoid, because not all surgeries need to be immediate. Whatever treatment, can be postponed and can be taken from the comfort of your home please consider. Don’t rush to hospitals.

3. If you test positive start immediate treatment and consult with good physicians from the comfort of your home or signup for homecare packages, some even provide oxygen support with pulmonologist consultation.

4. Getting a bed allotment isn’t the end of your problems, I would say in many the beginning, for it doesn’t assure of proper treatment or care. It’s a pure assumption. Things are different this time around.

5. Also do not blindly go to any hospitals because you had a good experience in the past, or perhaps know some doctors in other disciplines. Check their current reviews and take collective decision because most likely you’re known doctors are of little use in this current covid scenario.

Stay safe and exercise extreme precaution which is the need of the hour.