The death of a 53-yearold resident of Siliguri at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) today led to speculations that he had contracted the novel coronavirus. The health department, however, did not attribute the cause of the death of the railway employee to COVID- 19, although the Railways has confirmed that the employee had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
A copy of a notice released by the Railways hours after the death today went viral on social media. Sources said the retired railway employee was a patient of diabetes and had respiratory problems. He was taken to the railway hospital at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) on 24 March after his health condition deteriorated, it is learnt.
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The Railway Hospital referred his case to a private nursing home, where he was admitted with respiratory problems and fever on 25 March. “Later, on 26 March, he was referred to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) at the NBMCH, where he tested negative for the coronavirus.
The NBMCH authorities shifted him to the isolation ward on 30 March, despite his test report coming negative, because his bed was next to the woman of Kalimpong, who died of Covid-19, in the wee hours on the same day at the RICU,” sources said. It is learnt that he was tested positive for Covid-19 in the second test conducted yesterday.
The person is survived by his wife and three sons, all of whom have now been quarantined. Senior railway officials said health workers of the hospital and around 15 employees would also be quarantined. Sources said the person had gone to Bengaluru for treatment of his respiratory problems last month and returned before the lockdown.
A notice issued by the office of the divisional railway manager, Katihar, Northeast Frontier Railway, stated that the person was admitted in the hospital and died today. The notice said that he tested positive for Covid-19. The railway quarters where the person used to live was sanitised by the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services today.
Meanwhile the health department and the administration faced problems cremating the body as a hearse could not be found as private service providers refused to carry the body. Finally, after some hours of delay, the body was cremated in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Union health ministry for Covid-19 deaths at Sahudangi on the outskirts of Siliguri.
Complaint against deputy mayor:
A complaint was lodged against Siliguri’s deputy mayor Rambhajan Mahato for allegedly violating the lockdown and social distancing norms while he visited the Durganagar area today. Police sources said a case was registered today. Mr Mahato said he visited the area after local people sought his intervention in settling a score in the area as the councillor. Also today, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police arrested seven persons from Matigara and Bagdogra areas of the West zone for allegedly violating the lockdown.
