KOLKATA: A 60-year-old
doctor
with the
Bengal
health department, who had earlier tested Covid-19-positive, died on Sunday, marking the first death in the state of a health official who had the disease, on a day the condition of a 65-year-old orthopaedic surgeon — also Covid-19-positive — was stated to be critical.
There has, however, been no official word yet on whether Biplab Kanti Dasgupta died of Covid-19. The cause of death will be determined by the state’s
Covid
death audit committee, following “international protocol” in fixing cause, as earlier reported by TOI.
The senior health official was in charge of the Central Medical Store, Sealdah, which supplies medicine, medical equipment and PPE to government-run health facilities throughout the state. He made a Facebook post on April 9, his last, and which has turned especially poignant in the wake of his death: “Trust God even if the answer is WAIT”.
The 65-year-old orthopaedic surgeon, a resident of Ballygunge Phanri, had felt unwell and was admitted to Belle Vue Clinic with symptoms of Covid-19. His swab samples tested positive on April 14, and was shifted to
Salt
Lake’s AMRI Hospital. The doctor attends to patients at a few more private hospitals across the city.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed condolences at Dasgupta’s death. “His sacrifice for the cause of ailing humanity will ever be in our hearts and will make our COVID warriors fight the deadly virus with even greater determination. My heartfelt condolence to Dr Dasgupta’s bereaved family members and colleagues,” she tweeted.
The resident of Behala’s Haridevpur was initially admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital, where his swab samples tested positive. He was shifted to AMRI Hospital’s annexe building on April 18. He was put on ventilation support because he had respiratory distress.
An AMRI Hospital source said Dasgupta expired at 1.20am. “The Covid-19-positive patient had been admitted on April 18 with respiratory distress and other co-morbidities,” the source added.
Dasgupta’s co-morbidities included diabetes and hypertension, said sources. His widow is also Covid-19-positive, currently undergoing treatment. Another doctor in Behala, at whose private chamber Dasgupta had got himself checked before testing positive, has also been infected, said sources.
Various doctors’ bodies — including IMA, Association of Health Service Doctors (AHSD), West Bengal Doctors’ Forum and
Medical Service
Centre — have expresses condolences at Dasgupta’s death. “What happened to him may happen with any of us healthcare workers in this Covid-19 scenario. But still our fight against Covid-19 will go on. Salute to Dr Biplab Kanti Dasgupta from other co-warriors for his brave fight. May his soul rest in peace. We are ready to stand beside his bereaved family,” said a release from doctors Suman Biswas, Sanjib Bandyopadhyay and K A Ahmed of the service doctors’ wing of IMA Bengal.
Dasgputa had previously served as zonal leprosy officer in Murshidabad and CMOH, North Dinajpur.Also on Sunday, a nurse and an attendant of Marwari Relief Society hospital too tested positive on Sunday. The hospital has been shut for sanitization. Few other healthcare workers of the hospital has been taken for quarantine.
Biplab Kanti Dasgupta was in-charge of the Central Medical Stores, at Seadlah, that stocks up medicine, medical equipment and PPEs that are being supplied to different government run health facilities in the state.Cause of death of his death however will be ascertained by the Covid death audit committee. Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has already expresses her condolences through a tweet.
Another Covid positive patient, a 34-year-old man from Garden Reach also died at the same hospital on Sunday. Like Dasgupta the patient was on ventilation.
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