MORE THAN two months after he tested positive for Covid-19, Punjab Police DSP Harjinder Singh (49) died of post-Covid complications at Satguru Partap Singh (SPS) Hospital in Ludhiana, Wednesday.
A few days ago, the DSP — in a video made from his hospital bed which went viral on social media — had made a poignant appeal to the Punjab government to fund his lung transplant instead of giving compensation to his family after he would die. He had separated from his wife, and is survived by his mother and two sons.
Posted as DSP at Ludhiana Central Jail, the officer tested positive on March 30 and was admitted to SPS Hospital on April 6. Even though he tested negative for the virus on April 21, his lungs were severely damaged. According to the family, doctors had advised lung transplant as the only possibility as his chances of survival were bleak.
Hardeep Singh, the DSP’s cousin who stepped in as caretaker when the officer was in hospital, said his brother died because bureaucracy dragged its feet. “Even after CM announced that government would bear entire cost of my brother’s treatment, the case was still transferred to a expert committee headed by Dr K K Talwar. It was on June 2 that CM had made the announcement on Twitter, by when it was already very late. On May 10, the doctors at SPS Hospital had already communicated to us that his lungs were completely finished and we should plan for transplant. We informed senior police officials including Ludhiana police commissioner but no action was taken. Some NGOs had agreed to extend monetary help and we were ready to take him to KIMS Hospital, Secunderabad (Telangana), for lung transplant but after CM’s announcement, those NGOs backed out,” said Hardeep.
“The estimated cost for transplant was Rs 70-80 lakh. Instead of shifting the patient for transplant, the government committee started guiding doctors at SPS to continue treatment here only. It is only because of the loopholes in this system that my brother has died,” he said, adding that only after Harjinder’s mother visited the CMO had the government had finally acted.
Dr Gurpreet Singh, senior consultant and joint coordinator, department of pulmonary and critical care medicine at SPS Hospital, had issued the family a certificate on May 11, which said: “…The patient got admitted with viral pneumonia Covid-19 positive with Type-1 respiratory failure on 06.04.202… it is more than one month, patient is still on NRBM with desaturation on mild exertion, his family has been counseled about likely need of lung transplantation.”
However, when contacted by The Indian Express, he said: “As of now there is no data to show how Covid patients react after lung transplant and if they can survive after surgery. I had written about lung transplant in the certificate only on the family’s insistence as they wanted to try”.
“Ludhiana police commissioner had written a letter to ADGP (jails) on May 20 that Rs 80 lakh would be required for lung transplant, but nothing was done to expedite the case,” said Hardeep.
Dr K K Talwar, head of state’s Covid expert committee, said the DSP was suffering from several infections even after testing negative for Covid. “The committee was watching the case very closely and everything best was done,” he added.
Dr Rajiv Kundra, medical superintendent, SPS Hospital, said the officer was being treated as per guidelines from the government’s expert committee. “His secondary infections were being treated. He was diabetic with cardiac issues too…We were trying to reach a point where lung transplant might have been possible,” said Dr Kundra.
Punjab ADGP (jails) P K Sinha said that since the case was referred to Dr Talwar, doctors from Delhi, Telangana and abroad were also being consulted: “Harjinder had become PPS officer after several promotions. It is sad to lose a good officer but the best possible was done with CM himself involved in the case.”
Hospital waives bills
Dr Kundra said that the hospital has waived the late DSP’s medical bills, a “gesture for frontline workers”.
Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Sing Randhawa said: “Deeply saddened to learn that our brilliant officer, despite best medical efforts, lost the battle against post-Covid illness. The Punjab government stands by his family in their hour of grief and will do everything to support them.”
The DSP’s last rites will be held in Mohali on Thursday.
Majithia blames govt
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia attacked the ruling Congress for ignoring pleas of financial assistance from the DSP’s family.
Speaking to the media in Khanna, Majithia said that the DSP’s death showed that Punjabis were left to fend for themselves, while Congress leaders were busy with their power struggle.