CoronaVirus : 9 dead in Telangana, all had attended Tablighi Jamaat

Hyderabad : In what has put the Telangana government on edge , 3 more patients who were tested positive for CoronaVirus have died on April 1st, taking the tally to 9 deaths in the state. Besides this, 30 new positive for COVID-19, were reported on Wednesday, the highest jump recorded on a single day. To note, the nine dead were part of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held at Delhi's Nizamuddin .

Telangana's health minister Eatala Rajendra , took to social media and announced, " On April 1st, 3 died ( two in Gandhi and one at Yashoda Hospital) and 30 new positive cases reported . In total, nine have died due to CoronaVirus in the state'.

Notably, the trimmed medical bulletin of Telangana government sans patient history, was issued at 12.15 AM on April 2nd. The statement came from the Chief Minister's office. But, what surprised many was, an hour before the CMO's statement, came another half-baked bulletin posted on the official whatsapp group handled by the state heath department. The medical bulletin which restricted to number only read, total active cases 88, while the number of discharged /cured are 14 and 5 deaths.

To recall, the health minister on March 30th, announced 6th deaths in the state. Two in Gandhi Hospital, one each in Apollo, Global Hospital, one in Nizamabad and one in Gadwal. And now with the two more in Gandhi and one in Yashodha Hospital, the tally is 9 deaths.

A Source told NewsMeter, that, the patient who died at Yashodha Hospital Malaket is well-known in the religious circles in Hyderabad. The resident of Malaket fell ill after his return from Delhi, the elderly man was admitted to Yashodha however was tested positive after his death on Wednesday.

While among the two dead at Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday, one suffered acute respiratory problem. The patient , a resident of Quthbullapur , developed ‘Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome’ (ARDS). The decease with complication was admitted on 25^th March, after he returned from Delhi. He was one of the participants at Tablighi jamaat meeting in Delhi’s Nizamuddin. The following day (i.e March 26) his relative was also tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted. Both, we were placed in the same ward’.

A Junior doctor at Gandhi told NewsMeter, “ On Wednesday, patient developed severe ARDS, the doctors asked the family for consent to place him on oxygen support. However the family delayed it. It is to note, as part of the protocol, doctors cannot put a patient on support without the permission of the family. The family wasn’t cooperating despite repeated requests, while the patient’s health deteriorated and subsequently died’.

The death resulted in the decease’s relative who was on next bed, assaulting a doctor. ‘He (patient ) slapped general medicine resident’. A police case has been filed against the latter, we cannot tolerate such behavior, we don't need such patients , said the junior doctor. Following a complaint the Hyderabad police booked a criminal case against the patient.

Meanwhile Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's has urged the Tablighi Jamaat participants to come forward for test . In a statement the CM said , 'Initially, the virus spread among those who came from abroad and through them it spread to others. They are all recovering. Many of them discharged. No case among them are serious. Nobody died. But the positive cases for the past few days are all those who went to Markaz. Hence the Telangana government has decided to conduct tests on those who went to Markaz.