State’s Covid toll at 5 as man tests positive after death
Body handed over before test result, crowd at burial
RANCHI: The state on Friday reported its fifth death due to Covid-19 after a 44-year-old migrant worker tested positive posthumously.
This is the second death of a migrant worker in the state due to the virus.
The deceased was identified as a resident of Goro village under Giridih’s Jamua block.
He died at Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on May 27 around 11.04 pm due to cardiac arrest and renal failure, however, his Covid-19 confirmatory report came the next day.
The state’s health department in its morning bulletin on Friday included the death under Covid-19.
A controversy, however, surrounded the patient’s death as before the test report came, the body was handed over to the family, who performed the burial amid full participation without adherence to the set protocol.
The alleged lapses landed the district administration into a real tizzy which swung into action to identify people who participated in the burial so that they can be quarantined and tested.
“As per information, more than 50 people participated in the burial amid violation of lockdown orders,” said Giridih CS Dr B Das.
According to the CS, the deceased, who came from Surat on May 9, was allegedly suffering from jaundice and hepatitis B. He was put under home quarantine but he developed health complications on May 24.
The family members got him admitted to a private hospital in Ranchi from where he was referred to RIMS on May 27.
“He was referred to RIMS after we failed to deposit further money. We got admitted him at RIMS’ ICU around 6 pm on May 27. He died at 11.04 pm the same day,” said the deceased’s 20-year-old son.
He added, “Sample for detection of Covid-19 was taken in the said private hospital but we have yet to receive the report. I have been demanding the report but to no avail. On Friday, the health staff took our samples.”