NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, DEC 18
A 59-year-old man was on Friday discharged after a stay of 113 days in a city hospital for COVID-19 treatment with Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel claiming this is to be possibly the longest spell of hospitalisation for a coronavirus patient in India.
Ravindra Parmar tested positive for coronavirus on August 26 and was admitted to a private hospital in the Dholka area of Ahmedabad. However, he had to be shifted to the state-run Sola civil hospital on August 28 after his condition deteriorated.
“Ravindra Parmar’s is a rare case of recovery as he was brought to Sola civil hospital in critical condition. Out of the 113 days here, he was in ICU for 90 days.
“At one point of time, he had to be given 75 litres of oxygen per minute for survival,” Patel, who was present when Parmar was discharged, said.
“This is the longest hospital stay for any COVID-19 patient in Gujarat, and, perhaps, even in the country. Doctors have given him the finest treatment.
“He was given 75 litres of oxygen per minute but only some amount of that was being used as his lungs were not functioning properly. But his recovery started soon after and today he has defeated the virus,” said Patel, who holds the health portfolio.
Parmar (59) still requires oxygen support but the amount is such that it can be managed at home, the minister added.
Patel pointed out that Parmar, who was not charged anything for medical care in the state-run facility, could have ended up spending at least Rs 30 lakh if he took treatment in any private hospital.
Sola civil hospital superintendent Pina Soni said Parmar’s case was very tough and his successful recovery had boosted the morale of the staff who have been fighting very hard to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.
Parmar’s wife Indumatiben thanked the medical team under pulmonologist Kiran Rami, anesthetic Ila Patel and head of general medicine department Parul Bhatt, saying their exemplary treatment saved her husband”s life.
Earlier, former Union minister and state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki recovered from the infection after staying in the hospital for 102 days.
