Ministers should stay at COVID hospitals to detect negligence, says Tripura minister

Tripura Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath has thought of a novel way to avoid deaths due to negligence: make cabinet ministers pack their bags and stay at the state-run dedicated COVID-19 hospital to keep an eye.

Responding to questions raised about the way the state government is handling the pandemic crisis, Nath said, “Nobody across the world was ready for this pandemic. Death cases are rising. But no one should die due to negligence. If needed, one minister will take turns to stay inside the hospital in case negligence is observed.”

Nath’s statement comes eight days after the mother of a three-day-old died at a dedicated COVID hospital. The mother had filed a complaint against the doctors and nurses, accusing them of negligence. The child’s COVID-19 test was necessitated since his mother was diagnosed with the disease prior to delivery, The Indian Express has reported.

Several relatives of those who died have also alleged negligence by doctors and paramedics.

Former health minister and BJP MLA Sudip Roy Barman too has criticised the government for its handling of the crisis. Roy Barman, who was axed from the state cabinet last year, said, “Authorities, who were entrusted with the responsibility of the health department have failed (to tackle COVID-19). We can’t let people die uncared for and untreated. The Chief Minister should interact frequently with people doing the job.”

The ex-health minister said he was in possession of photographs to prove that the body of a deceased patient was left in a corner of the hospital for 72 hours before anyone attended to it.

Ratan Lal Nath said his government was very serious about negligence of duties and would not tolerate it. A total of 134 people have died in Tripura due to COVID-19, out of 13,836 people who tested positive. About 5,195 are still under treatment. Tripura is currently testing 72,117 people per million for coronavirus.