Relatives of deceased coronavirus patient vandalise Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital

The relatives of a coronavirus patient, who passed away earlier on Friday, vandalised Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital.

According to the LRH administration, the 50-year-old woman was brought to the hospital last night in a critical state.

The LRH officials said that the patient’s relatives broke down the door of the coronavirus complex of the hospital.

The hospital said that its staff is busy treating patients day and night.

Meanwhile the son of the deceased woman, Shahzad Advocate, said that his mother did not have the symptoms of the coronavirus.

Shahzad said that his mother was a cardiac patient and the doctor instead of treating the patient, asked for a coronavirus test.

The son said that the patient was then shifted to a coronavirus ward instead of a cardiac one.

Shahzad said that the family brawled with the doctors after his mother’s condition got worse.

The hospitals across the country are getting overwhelmed due to the rush of suspected coronavirus patients, with most of them reaching the brink of their capacity.

Also read: At Lahore's Mayo Hospital, doctors treating COVID-19 patients face hostility and mistrust

Due to the developing situation, the patients as well as their relatives are getting wrought with worry and resorting to either brawling or violence.

The hospital staff, overworked due to the outbreak of the virus, at times have no security measures in place.

Such one case is of Lahore’s Mayo hospital. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Punjab, Mayo Hospital has been one of the most heavily-impacted health facility in the province, out of 19 state-run hospitals in Lahore.

On May 20, Dr Amara Khalid who works at the Mayo hospital narrated the harrowing ordeal they went through when the relatives of two female coronavirus patients threatened and manhandled the staff.

Following which, the CEO of Mayo Hospital wrote a letter to the Capital City Police Office in Lahore, requesting security. “Regarding the incident of scuffle and misbehaviour on part of attendants of a patient who expired in Mayo… consequent request for deployment of sufficient police force,” the letter read, as seen by Geo.tv.