'Forced to let people die by removing ventilator', says Indian nurse working in Italy

"We are forced to remove the ventilator support of some and connect it to someone else, who has better chances of survival," the nurse is heard saying in the audio.

By Anu James
March 23, 2020 16:07 +08

Italy Flash Mob

With the death toll reaching 5,476 and 46,638 active Coronavirus cases being reported, it is clear that the situation in Italy is not under control. While Italy tops the death chart, it also has a greater number of people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic after China.

Recently, some horrifying videos from the Papa Giovanni XXII hospital in the crisis-hit area of Bergamo in Lombardy did the rounds on social media. While the country witnessed a relentless rise in the number of deaths, creating panic among the people all over the globe, an audio message by an Indian nurse working in Italy has surfaced online.

The nurse, who hails from the south Indian state of Kerala, explains the terrible ordeal the medics in Italy are going through as more and more people are getting infected by this deadly virus.

We have NOT been able to independently verify the identity of the nurse.

Here's the translated version of the audio message:

Coronavirus — Peng Zhiyong (C), head of the department of critical care medicine of Zhongnan Hospital, performs diagnosis on a patient with his colleagues in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 24, 2020. (Representational image) IANS

"Have you considered what would happen if the condition Italy is going through happens in Kerala? Almost 25% of the Italians are aged above 80. We have been instructed not to treat those old people. Only people below 80 years of age are allowed inside hospitals as the authorities believe there is no hope in treating the others. We don't have sufficient ventilators, respiratory equipment or beds. All the ICUs, wards and operation theatres have been converted into respiratory ICUs. Initially, there were only 240 beds available in Lombardy, now more than 2,500 people are admitted in the ICUs here itself. So, you can imagine the situation. There is not enough space to accommodate all these patients.

Due to space issues, oxygen cylinders have been connected to ambulances. Also, there aren't enough oxygen cylinders and it is difficult to bring a patient from his home to hospital. It is really difficult to witness all this.

What I am doing is a big sin, but we are forced to do so as there isn't a better option. We are compelled to remove the ventilator support of some patients and connect it to someone else, who has better chances of survival. We know that these people from whom we removed the support will die within a few hours. By the time the second person becomes stable, the first one would have died. Our mental condition is also affected badly by being a part of all this.

I wish such a situation doesn't arise in Kerala as we have a good health system. It is important to follow the instructions issued by the authorities rather than fighting and taking the matter politically. You all need to understand that a small state like Kerala will not be able to handle the situation if it goes out of control like it happened in Italy. It is even more severe than the the floods we faced."

The audio clip detailing the horrible circumstances in a developed country like Italy is being widely shared among the people in Kerala, especially through Whatsapp.

Janata Curfew in India

It has to be noted that despite all these warnings and instructions, many people are still not taking the matter seriously. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared 'Janata Curfew' throughout the country on Sunday, March 22, for 14 hours aiming to instill the message of social distancing. He had also requested people to show their solidarity with doctors, nurses, paramedics, municipal staff and airport workers by clapping, banging on their plates or ringing bells standing at their balconies or at their doors and windows at 5 pm.

Though the entire country observed the Janata Curfew successfully by staying inside their homes, things went wild at 5 pm with thousands of people taking to the streets as if they were celebrating some festival, forgetting the whole idea of social distancing.