Before his death, ex-Hazuri Raagi complained of not getting 'proper treatment'

A few hours before his death due to COVID-19, former 'Hazuri Raagi' at the Golden Temple Nirmal Singh had claimed he was not getting "proper treatment", his family claimed on Saturday.

The family released an audio clip which purportedly was the last mobile phone conversation between Singh and his son when the Padma Shri awardee was at Guru Nanak Dev hospital here.

"I am not getting proper treatment in an isolation ward. Doctors are not giving me the medicine. If this situation continues, I may die shortly," Singh is heard as saying in the clip.

He even demanded that he be shifted to some other hospital, or he will "commit suicide".

The family members alleged that Singh died because of doctors' negligence.

They alleged Singh repeatedly asked the doctors to put him on ventilator support but none of the senior doctors went to the isolation ward to check on him.

The 62-year-old ''Gurbani'' exponent died on Thursday.

When contacted, the principal of the government college associated with the hospital, Sujata Sharma, rejected the allegations and claimed Singh was given proper treatment.

"Raagi ji was shifted here when he was in an advanced stage of coronavirus. He was given proper treatment. He was scared and was not willing to stay in isolation ward and was also demanding to get him shifted to a private hospital, she said.

Meanwhile, paramedical staff and nurses on Saturday alleged that they were not given proper protective equipment, masks, gloves etc.