A criminal case has been registered against a Covid-19 patient who attacked a doctor inside the isolation ward established on the eighth floor of the Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on Wednesday. (Apr 1)

The assaulter attacked a resident doctor on duty after his brother, who was also undergoing treatment for Covid-19, died due to comorbid conditions .

According to reports, Khaleeluddin, a resident of Quthbullapur, who returned from after attending the Tablighi jamaat congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin, experienced respiratory issues. He was admitted to Gandhi hospital on 25th March and later tested postive for Covid-19.

A day later (March 26) his brother, who also attended the Tablighi meet in Delhi, tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalised . Both, we were placed in the same ward’.

Khaleeluddin was put on ventilator, as his condition deteriorated due to co-morbid conditions. He developed ‘Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome’ (ARDS) and died on Mar 31. He was the 7th COVID-19 death in Telangana. But after the death of his brother, the second patient lost his cool and attacked doctors and also broke a window at the hospital.

Telengana Today quoted Superintendent, Gandhi Hospital, Dr. P Sravan Kumar as saying “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 positive patient passed away on Wednesday evening and the resident doctor was attacked by his brother, who was also in the ward. All the healthcare workers at Gandhi Hospital are working under immense pressure since the outbreak of Coronavirus. This incident has upset the community of healthcare workers,”

Following the incident, Dr Sravan Kumar alerted personnel at the local police picket, who initially hesitated to enter the coronavirus isolation ward because they did not have safety equipment including Personnel Protection Equipment (PPE).

Later, City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar rushed to the hospital and took control of the situation and restored normalcy.

Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender also condemned the attack on a doctor at Gandhi Hospital and assured strict action against the attacker and said "Two patients belonging to one family were admitted with coronavirus. After one person died, the relatives started beating doctors. In any case, we cannot ignore such incidents and let them pass. We will take strict action against the attackers. If doctors and medical staff are risking their lives to save our lives, we need to protect them also."