“His relatives told us that his birthday is approaching. We decided to celebrate it. Nurses were excited to celebrate his birthday and they urged us to get cake,” said Dr Vidya Mane, medical superintendent. (Representational)
A man turning 100 on Wednesday has recovered from Covid-19 and was discharged from Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray hospital, where he was seeking treatment for the past fortnight.
Hours before being discharged, Arjun Govind Naringrekar received a surprise on Tuesday as doctors and staff from the hospital gathered to celebrate his birthday with a chocolate cake and pink candles at the hospital lobby.
Clad in white and blue protective gear, attendants, nurses, and doctors sang the birthday song. Relatives of other patients also joined in as the 100-year-old patient nibbled on cake. Naringrekar, a retired government school headmaster, was hospitalised on July 1 after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. He remained admitted for a fortnight.
“His relatives told us that his birthday is approaching. We decided to celebrate it. Nurses were excited to celebrate his birthday and they urged us to get cake,” said Dr Vidya Mane, medical superintendent.
Naringrekar, a Kandivali resident, had low-grade fever when he was hospitalised. Three days later, a doctor said, he developed breathlessness and also suffered from urinary problems. “A chest x-ray showed he had lung infection. We treated him symptomatically and he responded well to treatment. Every time we asked him about his health, he said changla aahe (I am good),” Mane said.
A native of Sindhudurg, he worked as a zilla parishad school teacher and retired in 1978 as headmaster. According to an official, he followed a strict routine of meals and medicines. Due to old age, he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
“Such celebrations also lighten the mood of staffers, who have been working day and night,” Mane said. The hospital has previously organised a magic show, and also held motivational talks for staffers to encourage them to continue working.