COVID: DSP WHO SOUGHT CAPT’S HELP FOR LUNG TRANSPLANT SUCCUMBS

LUDHIANA: The 49-year-old deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Harjinder Singh, who had recently urged chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to release funds for his lung transplant procedure after Covid-19, died at Satguru Partap Singh Hospital in Ludhiana on Wednesday.

Dr Rajiv Kundra, the medical superintendent of the hospital, said that the DSP died in the morning.

The family members of DSP Harjinder Singh, who was deployed in the securities department of the Central Jail in Ludhiana, had met the Ludhiana commissioner of police, Rakesh Agrawal, on May 20 and sought help for generating funds for the lung transplant procedure.

Hardeep Singh, the brother of the DSP, said that Harjinder had tested positive on April 6 and ever since he was admitted at the private hospital.

On May 10, the hospital authorities said that due to the coronavirus infection, Harjinder’s lungs had suffered irreparable damage and his life could be saved only through lung transplant.

Hardeep said the procedure would cost Rs 70 lakh. “Had the money been issued in time, my brother’s life could have been saved,” he said.

Harjinder had made a poignant appeal on video recently, requesting the government to fund his treatment instead of giving compensation after his death.

Punjab director general of police Dinkar Gupta had also tweeted that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had decided to support the DSP’S treatment and said that the CM had released funds from his discretionary quota. Ludhiana commissioner of police had also assured the family of DSP’S free treatment.

HAD MADE APPEAL ON VIDEO, URGING GOVT TO FUND HIS TREATMENT INSTEAD OF GIVING COMPENSATION AFTER HIS DEATH