Three cops die in second wave, none took vaccine

CHENNAI: Three police personnel who died of COVID in the second wave had not been vaccinated, inquiries reveal. A fourth one, who tested negative and had just received one shot, dies following a cardiac arrest without responding to treatment.

Amudha, wife of traffic investigation head constable Maharajan of Anna Nagar police station, said the family was hesitant on her husband taking the vaccine as he had blood pressure and was a diabetic.

Sub-inspector Sakthivel of the Kodungaiyur traffic police station and head constable Karunanthi of the Kottupuram police station were reportedly advised by doctors not to get vaccinated since they had similar complications. Murugesan, head constable with SBCID, took the first dose of vaccine on March 11 but did not go for the second shot. The reasons could not be ascertained.

A colleague of Sakthivel told DT Next on condition of anonymity that doctors had advised police personnel with high blood pressure against getting vaccinated.

Additional Commissioner (South) N Kannan said they had not imposed any restriction on police personnel getting vaccinated. “We have just instructed them to go by medical advice. From the department, we have taken steps to give aged police personnel light work. Even if they have to be in the field, there will be younger personnel to carry out more difficult tasks so that the elder ones do not get exposed to the virus,” he said.

In Chennai Police, 258 personnel have been infected and are either isolated at home or at COVID care centres or hospitals. Since March last year, 3,609 personnel in Chennai were infected and 3,338 were cured. So far, 13 personnel have died of COVID, according to official data. Commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal said steps have been taken to get compensations for the bereaved families.

Perumal (56) of Chetpet, a traffic inspector, was identified as the officer who died of cardiac arrest on Sunday night. Sources said ge didn’t respond to treatment. He had taken the first dose of the vaccine. He was attached to the traffic enforcement wing at the Kodambakkam police station.