COVID-19 patient dies after consuming toxic liquid in UP

Kanpur (UP), May 01: A coronavirus patient died at a hospital on Friday allegedly after consuming some toxic liquid at the community health centre he was admitted to in Sarsaul in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Dehat district, a health official said.

Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) hospital's Chief Medical Superintendent, Dr RK Maurya, confirmed the victim was COVID-19 positive and shifted to the facility on Thursday night. He, however, refused to share any further details regarding the patient's death.

It was not immediately clear whether the patient attempted suicide.

Chief Medical Officer (Kanpur Dehat), Dr Rajesh Katiyar, said the man, a resident of Jharkhand, along with other labourers were travelling in a truck that was intercepted by police in Pukhrayan on April 23.

"The victim was kept at the district hospital where he was screened. He tested positive for COVID-19, following which he was taken to an isolation ward of the CHC in Sarsaul on Wednesday night," the CMO added.

CHC's Superintendent, Dr SL Verma, said the patient allegedly drank something after which his condition started deteriorating. He was also a patient of epilepsy and might have been suffering from mental illness as well, the CMO added.

He held Kanpur Dehat authorities responsible for the patient's death, claiming there was no such protocol to shift any COVID-19 positive patient at CHCs of any other district.