Muslim social worker to perform last rites of elderly Hindu victim
Himself a Covid-19 survivor, Vatanappally reaches out to family, which is in quarantine
AMuslim social worker from Kerala will perform the last rites of an elderly Hindu man, who died of Covid-19 in Dubai, as the latter’s family has been home quarantined after testing positive.
Naseer Vatanappally, who continues to do social work after beating Covid-19, completed formalities to cremate 77-yearold Ramesh Kalidas Pamani’s mortal remains at the Jebel Ali crematorium yesterday.
“I have seen the suffering of patients and their families as I myself have been a patient. If I don’t help now, there is no meaning in my being a social worker,” Vatanappally said.
Pamani’s son Kiran Kumar told Gulf News that his father came to visit them in February.
“He had diabetes and an urinary infection. On May 11, we rushed him to Rashid Hospital after he suffered a stroke and kidney failure,” he said.
“On May 14, he tested positive for Covid-19. All of us were then tested and my wife Preeti and me were found to be positive despite no symptoms. Our eight-year-old daughter tested negative.”
The couple self-isolated themselves at home and sent their daughter to live with Kumar’s sister in Al Ghusais.
The family received the news of Pamani’s death on Tuesday.
“I didn’t know what to do as everyone was scared to come to us or go to the hospital to complete procedures,” Kumar said.
It was then that Preeti’s employer, K.V. Shamsudheen, director of Barjeel Geojit Securities and a social worker, connected the family to Vatanappally. “He reached their house 20 minutes after being informed,” Shamsudheen said.
“He consoled me and said he would take care of the last rites of my father and keep his ashes safe in the crematorium till the time I can go to India for the remaining rites,” Kumar said.