BMHC yet to give concrete findings on death of patient with COVID-19

Phurpa Wangmo

In a case involving the death of a 34-year-old COVID-19 patient it is investigating since January, Bhutan Medical and Health Council (BMHC) is yet to provide any concrete findings.

The death of the 34-year-old patient, Sostika Gurung, the family members alleged that she did not receive proper healthcare services and that it was a preventable death, and many other accounts of the death stressed on social media platform, the medical and health council launched an investigation into the case.

Opposition party, according to its findings pointed that the death occurred due to ‘logistical and medical negligence’.

In an earlier interview on February 12 with Bhutan TODAY, the Registrar of BMHC said that the lockdown impacted the investigation, however, the council was then gathering information from all the involved parties personally through telephone, and once the lockdown eased (then), it would collect information.

Talking with Bhutan TODAY, the Registrar of BMHC, Kinga Jamphel said: “We have many cases in hand, and this is not the lone case.”

A press release from the Ministry of Health stated that the 34-year-old succumbed to cardiac complications due to underlying kidney disease probably exacerbated by the COVID-19 infection. The woman was a chronic kidney patient who was on dialysis and was referred to Thimphu from Phuentsholing recently.

Sostika Gurung died with COVID-19 on January 28.