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Salim Ghulam Mohammad Panagar (65), maulana of the Jama Masjid in Vadodara, passed away on May 22, two days after he tested positive for Covid-19. His wife, who was also admitted to the same hospital, has tested negative.
Panagar had reportedly developed pneumonia and complained of breathlessness before being rushed to a private hospital. Dr Mohammad Husain of the Baroda Muslim Doctor’s Association (BMDA) said, “Initially, he had mild symptoms and took medicines from a local family doctor. As his condition worsened, he came to me and we diagnosed him with pneumonia. We referred him for a Covid-19 test and it turned out positive. We shifted him to the Muslim Medical Centre in Panigate, which is a dedicated Covid-19 hospital now, but since he deteriorated, he was shifted to a private hospital and passed away.”
Panagar was a resident of Mogalwada, which has seen a high number of cases in the last two weeks. Dr Husain added that the maulana most likely caught the virus through local transmission.
“He was laid to rest in line with the Covid-19 protocol on Friday night, just hours after his death,” said Zuber Goplani, a socio-political activist who has been helping the district administration in coordinating health and community services during the pandemic.
Panagar, who had been attached to the Jama Masjid in Vadodara for close to three decades, had co-morbidities such as diabetes, leaders from the community said. The Masjid, located in Fakhri Mohalla near the iconic Mandvi Gate in Vadodara, has been home to cricketers Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan and also claims to house the world’s largest Quran.
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