Vadodara reports first Covid-19 death: 52-year-old man who returned from Sri Lanka

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The family is anxious about the recovery of the others, including the 29-year-old daughter-in-law of the deceased, who is expecting her second child and is in the end of her third trimester. While the SSG hospital has created a labour room equipped for emergency surgery if needed, the family says they are praying for the them recover and be discharged soon. “My cousins are yet to test negative for the virus. It is a worry for us. We are praying that all of them recover as soon as possible especially since they are all isolated from each other at such a difficult time,” the relative said.

According to VMC officials, the patient was cremated in the gas crematorium at Khaswadi in the city, as per protocol. VMC health officer Dr Devesh Patel told The Indian Express: “We allowed their extended family members to attend the last rites in PPE suits. Four of them completed the formalities along with out staff as per protocol. The PPE suits are also to be destroyed in the same gas chamber once the body has been consigned to flames, as per the protocol.” Dr Rajeev Daveshwar, superintendent of SSG hospital said the immediate family which is in isolation at the Covid-19 ward was allowed to wear PPE suits and bid their goodbyes from a distance before the body was taken away from the ward.

The family alleged the 52-year-old developed a severe lung disorder due to Covid-19 virus because his treatment was delayed by a local doctor whom he had first consulted. The patient’s niece said, “My uncle was feeling unwell immediately after his return to Vadodara. He visited a doctor on March 15 and asked him to recommend a Covid-19 test if he suspected anything untoward about his symptoms and also informed the doctor that he had visited Sri Lanka. The doctor assured him that he was only suffering from viral flu and prescribed medicines. Two days later as well, my uncle insisted that he was not feeling better but the doctor told him to continue with the medicines. It was only on the fourth day that my uncle was taken for a test to SSG and he was already in a delicate situation. The authorities did not even quarantine this doctor while our entire family was isolated for 14 days.”

VMC officer Dr Devesh Patel, however, denied the allegations and said the doctor based in Nizampura has been in home quarantine after the administration traced contacts of the patient following his admission to SSG hospital.

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