Kerala police laughed, says beheaded tourist Liga Skromene's kin

Bengaluru, Mar 10: A 75-year-old man who arrived in Kalaburagi from Saudi Arabia on February 29 has been admitted to the isolation ward at Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) after he showed symptoms of coronavirus. 

His throat swab has been sent to the laboratory of Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital. The district Health and Family Welfare Department is waiting for the report. 

The aged man who arrived from Saudi Arabia on February 28, was admitted to a private hospital on March 5 following fever and cough. As he showed the symptoms similar to coronavirus, the health of his family members has also been examined by the doctors and a close watch on them is being kept.

Recently, first confirmed positive case was reported from Whitefield in Bengaluru. The state government had also declared holiday for all primary schools in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru, Jul 4: In a heart-wrenching incident, a 65-year-old coronavirus patient at Hanumath Nagar in South Bengaluru died outside his house waiting for an ambulance on Friday evening. The body was kept on the road for more three hours.

The deceased tested positive for coronavirus on Friday and immediately called an ambulance to reach a hospital. However, according to his family members, as he waited for the ambulance for nearly three hours, he collapsed on the road in front of his house complaining of breathlessness and died.

As the body lay unattended on the road, it began to rain heavily. Soon, videos of the body lying on the road in the heavy rain went viral on social media. 

A senior doctor in charge of the division, however, claimed that the ambulance had arrived in less than half an hour but the patient had died before they reached the spot. 

"The patient had given samples on Thursday at KIMS and tested positive on Friday. BBMP officials informed them that they would reach his house. But the man, fearing that he may be stigmatised in the locality, began walking to the corner of the road and collapsed on the street and died," the officer said. 

Another health official from Basavanagudi limits said: "As the ambulance staff do not transport the dead, they informed the hearse van, which was set to arrive in 30 minutes. But due to the sudden rain and heavy traffic ahead of the curfew hours, they were stranded for almost three hours later." The officials also said the deceased had been suffering from cardiac ailments for almost 10 years. 

Regretting the incident, BBMP officials said they were helpless as was an acute shortage of hearse vans. "We were told that there were 20 deaths today and there are only eight hearse vans available. They had to shift this patient after attending to another mortality and were stuck in traffic. By then, due to the fear of infection, nobody attended to the deceased," the officer explained. 

BBMP commissioner B H Anil Kumar said that such incidents should not recur and ordered an investigation and sought a report. "We will ensure that such incidents do not recur," Kumar said.  

Following outrage on social media, a hearse van was summoned and the body was shifted to the Victoria Hospital mortuary as per the protocol. Police have opened a case of unnatural death.

Mangaluru / Dammam, July 14: As many as 180 NRIs from Karnataka who were stranded in Saudi Arabia amid Covid 19 crisis today reached their home country by a flight charted by a Jubail based company KMT.

The Indigo flight carrying 174 adult passengers and 6 infants took off from King Fahad Airport, Dammam at 6:30 a.m. and landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 1:30 p.m.

Pregnant women, people with serious ailments and those who lost jobs are among the passengers. KMT has provided free ticket for some of the passengers who were in dire need of support.

KMT is a company which is head quartered in Jubail, Saudi Arabia was formed by natives of Addoor, Dakshin Kannada -  Shoukath, Abdul Razaq, Siddique and Abdul Rahman.

The CEO of KMT, Mr. Abdul Razaq has thanked Dr. Arathi Krishna, former president of KNRI Forum for her support to KMT in chartering flight.

He has also has expressed his gratitude to D.K district administration, director of SACO  company Mr. Althaf Ullal and KMT operation Manager Mr. Sadiq Ahmed and his team for their cooperation.