Woman alleges sexual harassment in hospital when husband was treated for COVID-19

He was not provided proper oxygen and care. After 15 days of struggle, he died in Patna hospital,” she states in a video.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, a woman from Bhagalpur in Bihar has alleged sexual harassment and utter negligence by hospital authorities in Bhagalpur and Patna where her husband was admitted for

COVID-19 treatment.

In the nearly 10-minute video, the woman is being heard narrating her ordeal to media persons. “A hospital attendant at Bhagalpur pulled my dupatta [scarf] and put his hand on my waist promising he will take care of my husband who was admitted at the hospital for treatment of lung infection. I kept mum as my husband and mother too were admitted in the hospital”, she said.

“Later my husband was referred to another hospital in Mayaganj area of Bhagalpur for advance treatment but due to utter negligence by the authorities there, we took him to Patna and admitted him in a private hospital, where too my husband was not provided proper oxygen and care. After 15 days of struggle, my husband died the hospital,” she stated.

“The hospital staff and nurses did not provide drinking water to my husband, even refused to change dirty and soiled sheets of his bed. They deliberately were short-supplying oxygen to sell cylinders in black. I myself had bought oxygen cylinders in black for my husband from the same hospital authorities”, she alleged.

“At the Bhagalpur hospital, the doctors, while administering Remdesivir injection to my husband, wasted half of the vial on floor”, the wailing woman said.

She along with her husband was living in Noida and had come to their native place Bhagalpur in Bihar to celebrate Holi.

“It was sort of a family get-together. On April 9, my husband fell ill while, his COVID-19 tests were negative twice. But, the chest CT scan showed 60% infection in his lungs and we admitted him to a private hospital in Bhagalpur first”, she said.

Probe panel

Bhagalpur Senior Superintendent of Police Natasha Gudia has constituted a three-member team to probe the incident comprising the city SP and the Station House Officer of the Bhagalpur woman police station.

The hospital authorities in Bhagalpur refused to make any comment, but it is learnt that the the accused employee has been suspended from service.

Local Bhagalpur Congress MLA Ajit Sharma has demanded that the Health Department and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should take cognizance of the video and take tough steps to punish the culprits.

“Please take care of your patients yourselves and not to rely on hospitals”, urged the woman in the video.