The increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country has put a strain on the existing health infrastructure. To make things worse, ambulance operators are either unavailable or charging patients exorbitant amounts of money to get them to hospitals.

Recently, a video of a seriously ill Covid patient taken to hospital on a bike sandwiched between two volunteers in PPE kits is all over the internet. The incident happened in Kerala, at the Punnapara domiciliary Covid care centre, where asymptomatic patients, who could have been in home isolation, are kept as they may not have provisions in their respective homes.

According to the locals, the covid patient suffered serious breathing problems. As there was no oxygen facility and doctors in the treatment centre, the patient was rushed to General Hospital in Alappuzha. The volunteers had to take him on a bike as the ambulance driver was also unavailable.

Alappuzha district collector A. Alexander said he has ordered a probe into this incident. He added that the volunteers had taken him to the private hospital without informing the health authorities because the patient was uneasy. Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the condition of the patient is currently stable.