Missing COVID-19 patient from VIMS hospital later found dead

A 79-year-old COVID-19 patient who had gone missing from Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) hospital in Vizag was found dead on Sunday night. His mortal remains were reportedly found in the storeroom of the hospital.

According to sources, the deceased was a retired employee of Vizag Port Trust. After testing positive for the virus, the patient was taken to the Port Hospital. Upon the doctors’ suggestions, he was later admitted to VIMS hospital on 1 August. Till August 5, he was in contact with his son – Srinivas, over the mobile phone and informed him regarding his health condition. However, on 6 August, the old man did not return his son’s calls. 

Worried by the turn of events, the kin of the deceased contacted the hospital authorities inquiring about the whereabouts of the former Vizag Port Trust employee. Later in the day, Mr Srinivas reportedly rushed to the hospital and searched all over the place, along with the staff for the next two days. On Sunday night, he had been informed that his father was found lifeless at a storeroom in the VIMS hospital. Speaking to the media, Srinivas alleged that the CCTV cameras in the hospital are not functioning properly. He added that the staff was clueless about his father and they didn’t even know how he had gone inside the room, in the first place. 

Earlier on 2 August, visuals of a woman lying down unattended on the VIMS hospital floor grabbed the public attention. In a video that went viral, another COVID-19 patient, who was treated at VIMS Vizag, lamented over the staff crunch issue at the hospital. The man complained that neither doctors nor staff nurses were available during nights. In wake of reports of the staff shortage at VIMS hospital in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister, Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, assured to soon streamline the facilities at the COVID-19 hospital.