KATHMANDU, Nov 4: An Account officer serving at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) for more than 20 years passed away on Tuesday after he failed to get an ICU bed at the same hospital. 

Rajaram Itani, 54, was rushed to TUTH on Monday night after he experienced some breathing difficulties. However, he was unable to admit to the hospital due to lack of ICU beds, according to his family sources. 

Keeping in view of his deteriorating health condition, doctors on duty had immediately referred him for the treatment with ventilator support and at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as his oxygen level had gone below 45.

Itani’s family members waited for more than eight hours seeking an ICU bed in the hospital. Itani was then taken to Karuna Hospital where he breathed his last on Tuesday morning.

It is yet to be ascertained if Itani died of COVID-19. “It was such a rush. We couldn’t conduct even a PCR test," said Navaraj, Itani’s brother.

According to ICU in-charge at TUTH Dr Subash Acharya, there was an empty ICU bed with a ventilator each in both COVID and general ward on Monday night while Itani was brought to the hospital.

Director of TUTH Dinesh Kafle has cited the communication gap as a reason behind the death of Itani. “We are in a difficult time. Communication gap between doctors on duty caused the incident.”

Kafle said more than 500 employees in TUTH have already contracted the COVID-19.

 
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