His kin quarantined, doctors lay Covid patient to rest

Noida: With his family in quarantine, the second Covid-19 patient to die in Noida, a 52-year-old man, was laid to rest by two doctors and a pharmacist on Monday. None of the family members stepped out of the ambulance at the burial ground. Three maulavis were present but they too did not go near the body. Finally, the doctors and the pharmacist — all Hindus — buried the body wearing protective gear.
In fact, the deceased, a resident of Mamura in Sector 66, who had been serving quarantine at Galgotias university’s makeshift quarantine centre, tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday. Following the test result, he was shifted to the isolation facility at the Government Institute of Medical Science (GIMS) in Greater Noida, where he passed away of a cardio-respiratory failure early on Friday morning.
As his family, including his wife (45), daughter (23), son (22), one-year-old granddaughter and the taxi driver who drove him to the hospital were also serving quarantine at the facility, they could not be present at his death bed. However, his son was asked to see his father for one last time, which he did in the hospital itself. Meanwhile the health department started preparing for the deceased’s burial as per Muslim traditions.
Dr Amit Chaudhary, in-charge of Dadri community health centre, told TOI that they came to know from local Muslim leaders that a deceased man from the community can only be buried in the burial ground near his residence.
“The body was brought from the mortuary of GIMS to Kakrala burial ground. Five of their family members were also brought from the quarantine centre to the burial ground in an ambulance. However, they were not ready to participate in the last rites as they were afraid of contracting Covid. His son was also stopped by his mother from stepping out,” Dr Chaudhary said.
The deceased’s son said that it was difficult for them to take such a decision. “It was a big tragedy. My mother was possibly afraid,” he said.
In fact, in a video of the incident, the health department officials can be seen trying to convince the family members to perform the last rites of the man, wearing PPE kits. Following the family’s refusal, the health department officials then asked the three maualvis present at the spot to help bury the body but they too refused to pitch in and read the “fatiha” (reciting of the Holy Quran for the deceased) even as the body was inside the ambulance.