Bhopal: Staff at the Hamidia hospital in Bhopal as well as scores of mourners at the funeral of a 77-year-old man who was cremated on Thursday risk contracting Covid-19, as his samples tested positive after he died.
Jagannath Maithil, a retired Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) officer, fell sick on Wednesday. He was taken to three hospitals, including the government-run Kasturba Hospital and two private ones, but did not receive treatment.
Finally, he was admitted to the emergency ward at the Hamidia hospital. Dr AK Srivastava, the hospital superintendent, said that the patient was suffering from severe pneumonia and his samples were sent for tests.
Maithil later died at the hospital. His last rites were performed at Barkheda Jehangirabad on Friday, where a large gathering congregated for his funeral. On Saturday, the hospital staff and funeral attendees learnt to their shock that his samples tested positive for Covid-19.
As many as 11 of his contacts have been tested, and 40 have been sent to home quarantine by the administration.
Maithil's death accounted for Bhopal's second fatality due to the coronavirus. The local administration on Sunday urged people to report serious illnesses such as blood pressure imbalance, lung disorders and asthma that could become comorbidities. It also asked citizens to keep a record of people they may have met after March 15.
The number of positive cases in the state climbed to 562 on Sunday, including around 50 staffers of the health department. Madhya Pradesh has reported 32 deaths due to Covid-19 so far.
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