Irate family members of a COVID-19 patient, who succumbed to the disease late Saturday at JNIMS Hospital, allegedly vandalised the hospital properties, including an oxygen concentrator and other ICU equipments of the hospital.
The deceased was identified as a 33-year-old woman from Singjamei Wangma Kshetri Leikai, Imphal. She was reportedly admitted at the hospital on May 23.
The family members alleged that the patient died due to the negligence of the hospital authority in providing treatment to the patient. A video footage of the incident went viral in social media platforms.
According to the CCTV footage circulated in the social media, the husband of the deceased Okram Ajit and sister-in-law of the deceased, Okram Tanu were seen vandalising the live saving equipments. Both were reportedly picked up by the Porompat police personnel following the incident. However they were released after the hospital authority and the patient party came to an understanding and made an agreement, said a source.
Regarding the video which went viral in the social media, it drew negative comments from various netizens against the patient party for their violent act inside the ICU.
"Such immature act inside a hospital's ICU is unfortunate and highly condemnable. The destroyed equipments could have been used for the treatment of many more patients," said a staff nurse of JNIMS.
This reporter made phone calls to the director of JNIMS to enquire about the incident. However, till the time of filing this report, the director failed to respond to the calls from the Imphal Free Press.
