Twice -ve Tanzanian dies,nCov infection suspected

Vadodara: When he travelled from far away Tanzania to the M S University (MSU) here, to pursue a PhD degree, hardly anyone would have expected a tragic end to his journey. But Emmanuel Harrison Ngowi who was suspected to be suffering from Covid-19 breathed his last at the GMERS Gotri Hospital on Monday night.
Ngowi (34) was pursuing his PhD at the department of business economics of the Faculty of Commerce of the university. He had joined the university just a month back. Officials said that he was a lecturer in Tanzania and had taken a leave to pursue PhD here.
“Ngowi was unwell for some time and thus went for a Covid-19 test. But his results were negative,” said director of the Office of International Affairs (OIA) Prof Dhanesh Patel. Ngowi was, however, treated as a Covid patient because he was displaying all the symptoms associated with the viral infection.
Patel said that after treatment at the Yagnapurush Hall in Atladara he was shifted GMERS Gotri Hospital as his condition deteriorated. “All possible treatment was made available to him at the hospital. We kept in touch with his family and kept them informed about the developments,” said Patel.
Ngowi’s oxygen saturation kept going down despite being on a BIPAP machine. He had tested negative once again during the course of the treatment. Ngowi died at the Gotri Hospital on Monday night.
Sources in the hospital said that as per the protocol the body of a person who has tested negative can be handed over to relatives. “The family is trying to take the body to Tanzania. The Tanzanian high commission in Delhi is also helping the family,” said Patel.
Ngowi is survived by his parents and a younger sister. The sister left a moving message she wished to be read to Ngowi. Patel said that the university was in touch with both the family and the high commission.