Three persons have died in Kasaragod since Saturday night without getting medical care as the Karnataka government has kept its border with Kerala closed, denying treatment to people in dire need of medical attention.
So far, 10 people from Kasaragod have died for want of medical treatment because of the stance adopted by Karnataka in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Most people in the district are dependent on hospitals in Mangaluru in Karnataka and adjoining places for medical care.
Krishnappa Gowda, 71, who was a heart patient and was being treated at a private hospital at Sullia in Karnataka, died on Saturday night at his residence at Kalapally in Kasaragod. He was reportedly denied treatment at the hospital and sent back.
According to a relative of Mr. Gowda, he had been discharged from the hospital a few days before the lockdown was announced. On Friday, he fell ill and the family managed to get him to the hospital in Sullia through the Panathur route in Kasaragod. However, the hospital, which is just a few kilometres from his house, refused him treatment saying there was an order from the district administration not to admit people from Kasaragod.
On Sunday, two heart patients, including Rudrappa, a resident of Hosangadi in Manjeswaram, and Yusuf Pavoor, a native of Thuminad in Manjeswaram, died without access to medical care. Both were dependent on hospitals in Mangaluru.
