Kolkata: West Bengal on Monday reported its second death due to novel coronavirus, when a 44-year old woman succumbed to infection at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri.
“We tried our best but the woman died today morning due to COVID-19. She was admitted at our hospital a few days ago after she complained of fever and breathing problem,” Prabir Kumar Deb, Principal of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, told News18.
“She had visited Chennai before coming back to her home at Kalimpong. As per protocol, her body will be kept in a special bag, and only trained person will carry this to the electric cremation unit in a special vehicle,” he said on being asked about the travel history of the woman.
He added, “All guidelines issued by the government will be followed while handing over the body to her family members.”
The district administration has allowed only few selected members from her family for cremation. “No one will be allowed to open the sealed bad and touch the body. However, her ashes can be collected as a part of last rites,” he said.
As per her travel history traced, on March 7, the woman had visited Chennai to meet her daughter, who is studying in the city. On March 19, she came to Bagdogra by flight and on March 27, she tested positive for coronavirus after complaining of fever and breathing problem.
As a precautionary measure, all those who came in direct contact with the lady have been sent for isolation. Moreover, a medical shop where she had visited once has also been sanitised and sealed.
Earlier, on March 23, a 57-year old patient died due to coronavirus at a private hospital in Salt Lake in Kolkata. His death had raised serious questions over handling of body as no one from the family turned up at the hospital to sign the mandatory papers required while releasing the body from the hospital and to get the death certificate.
Moreover, the local residents at Dum Dum, where the man used to live, objected that they will not allow deceased’s family to stay in the locality even after they are released from the isolation home.
At Nimtala cremation ghat, the locals opposed the cremation of the man, fearing that this will further spread the virus in the nearby localities. Later, with the intervention of the police, the body was cremated at around midnight on March 23.
Comments
0 comment