‘Ready to serve people’: Edu min after Covid battle
RANCHI: After recovering from a Covid-19-triggered lung transplant, state school education and literacy department minister Jagarntah Mahto returned from Chennai after 239 days on Monday evening and is geared up to resume office.
The minister started his first day at Ranchi-based Doranda home by waking up around 5am on Tuesday and some light exercise. “My father is on a normal diet and he had his usual breakfast on Tuesday morning,” his son Akhilesh Mahto said.
According to the minister’s son, Mahto is ready to resume office and waiting for direction from the chief minister’s office.
The 54-year-old education minister tested positive for Covid-19 on September 28 last year and was admitted to state-run
Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), Ranchi. However, after his health deteriorated, he was airlifted to MGM Chennai on October 19 from Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspeciality Hospital. According to doctors, the infection damaged his lungs completely, due to which he underwent a lung transplant on
November 11 last year.
Only a few lung transplants on Covid-19 patients have been performed across the world, and the minister’s critical condition necessitated the procedure, officials said.
The minister was discharged on February 9 this year. However, he stayed in Chennai with some family members for postrecovery care.
Mahto was brought back on Monday to Jharkhand on a special chartered flight under observation of two doctors of RIMS by the state government. Chief minister Hemant Soren received him at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport. Mahto said, “I would like to thank CM Soren who stood by me since the beginning.”
He also thanked people and doctors both for helping him recover. “People’s blessing and doctors’ medicines gave me a second life,” Mahto said, adding “The second innings of my life will be dedicated to the service of people.”
Sharing his experience from when he was under treatment, Mahto said, “I fought Covid-19 with full courage and defeated it. Doctors and staff at the Chennai hospital provided me a great service.” The education minister said he was now ready to take on the field. “Doctors have declared me fit and I am ready to extend my service to the people of Jharkhand,” he said.
Mahto will now be staying at his Ranchi residence now. Chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday visited his residence to assess arrangements, including medical equipment. He directed to ensure all safety precautions at the residence.
According to sources, Mahto’s entire treatment cost nearly ₹1 crore. However, there has been no official confirmation on the amount as yet.
In a bid to provide hassle-free treatment to ministers outside the state, the Jharkhand cabinet in December last approved an amendment in the rules for ministers’ salary and allowances. The amendment was made following problems faced during shifting of the infected education minister to Chennai.