Doctor with COVID-19 gives up own oxygen support to save elderly patient

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A doctor in India suffering from COVID-19 kept a patient as a priority, even if he himself was under medical care.

When a 71-year-old patient in need of intubation was brought to the hospital last Sunday, Aug. 9, Dr. Sanket Mehta, 37, gave his oxygen support without question, the Times of India reported on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Mehta is an anesthesist who once worked at BAPS Hospital in the city of Surat where he was being treated. Providing his own oxygen support was crucial, as the patient was critically ill and could suffer from brain damage if intubation was not done in a matter of minutes.

The hospital’s CEO, Dr. Parshottam Koradia, recalled in the report that an anesthesist was needed to intubate the patient identified as Dinesh Purani. Their own anesthesist would have had to put on PPE first before attending to the patient, which would have taken up to 20 minutes.

Mehta was two beds away from Purani at the time. Despite his weak state, he got up and intubated the patient himself.

Purani is in the ICU and is in stable condition, according to Koradia. Mehta remains on oxygen support and is so weak that he cannot speak.

“It could have cost him his life, but he he saved the life of the patient,” noted Dr. Hiral Shah, vice president of Surat Anaesthetic Association, in the report.

India is the third country in the world to have over 2 million citizens test positive for coronavirus as of this month. It is the third worst-hit country for COVID-19 after the United States and Brazil. Niña V. Guno/JB

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