More deaths in GMCH; ICMR's nod sought to include casualties in corona list

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Though Guwahati has registered more two casualties "related to COVID-19" yet the State Health department has not added these two deaths in the official COVID-19 toll owing to some technical reasons.

Revealing this before the media here on Tuesday, State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "One patient, Meena Bharali of the Maligaon area, was admitted in the GMCH (Guwahati Medical College & Hospital) on July 2. She was corona positive at that time.

However, her second test on July 4 was negative. Unfortunately she breathed her last on July 5. Due to corona infection, her lungs were damaged.

"Another corona-positive patient died in the ICU of GMCH on Tuesday. But his retest on Monday showed negative results. So we have asked ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) as to whether these two casualties could be counted as corona deaths since the latest results of each of the two patients were negative. We have already provided the medical reports of both the patients to ICMR. Hence, we have not included these two casualties in the COVID toll so far.

"But, I want to inform the public that these two casualties were primarily due to the damage caused by corona."

Later in evening, Sarma tweeted, "Very sad to inform that another COVID-19 patient Dhadaram Mura (40) of Kaliabor, Nagaon admitted in GMCH COVID-ICU on July 1, succumbed to the infection today at 9 am. He was on invasive ventilation; had severe pneumonia and septic shock. My condolences to Mura family."

However, it was not clear whether late Mura is the same person that the Minister had referred to in the evening. On the other hand, there was no reply from the GMCH superintendent when The Sentinel tried to contact him.

Minister Sarma further tweeted late Tuesday night: 'Loss of one more precious life! Anguished to share passing away of Late Smt Devi Kakati of Kamrup. She was admitted to 151 Base Hospital, Basistha, on July 2 & diagnosed COVID-19 with Type-II Diabetes and hypertension. Despite best efforts we lost her. My heartfelt condolences."

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