Coronavirus: Pune journalist succumbs to COVID-19 due to lack of ambulance care, Ajit Pawar orders probe

In a shocking incident in Pune, TV9 Marathi's journalist Pandurang Raykar did not get a cardiac ambulance from the city's Jumbo COVID Centre which led to his death on Wednesday (September 2).

Pune: A 42-year-old journalist and reporter working with renowned TV9 Marathi news channel, Pandurang Raykar on Wednesday (September 2) succumbed to coronavirus infection due to an alleged delay in getting a cardiac ambulance from the city’s Jumbo COVID Centre.

According to reports he didn’t get an ambulance to go to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital  after which his oxygen level dropped which led to his death.

“There’s chaos, doctors aren’t trained. They made centres worth crores but couldn’t arrange a cardiac ambulance to shift him, that’s why he died,” said Raykar’s sister alleging utter negligence at government COVID centre.

NCP MP Supriya Sule condoled the death of the journalist. "Pandurang Raikar, a young journalist from Pune, passed away. We all share the grief of the family after the devastating incident. A heartfelt tribute," she wrote.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Nitesh Rane has demanded Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's resignation over the incident.

According to reports, Raykar was admitted to Jumbo Hospital’s ICU on Monday night after his health deteriorated and the antigen test came positive. He had tested negative COVID in the swab test earlier. However, his oxygen levels had dropped suddenly on Tuesday night and he needed to be transferred to the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital 7 km away.

After several attempts to find an ambulance with a ventilator, a van finally reached the hospital early Wednesday morning. However, Raykar had already passed away by that time.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister and Pune’s guardian minister Ajit Pawar has ordered a probe into the matter.