Brain tumour patient dies after surgery by COVID-19+ doctor; family quarantined

Wasim, a 35-year-old man from Kashipur in Delhi, was operated for brain tumour at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and then discharged on March 29. Almost a week later he died after complaining of breathlessness, classic symptom of coronavirus disease.

New Delhi:A family of eight has been quarantined after one of its members, who had recently been operated upon by a doctor testing positive for coronavirus at Sir Ganga Ram hospital in Delhi, died last Wednesday due to breathlessness.

Wasim, a 35-year-old man from Kashipur in Delhi, was operated for brain tumour at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and then discharged on March 29. Almost a week later he was rushed to a nearby hospital after he complained of difficulty in breathing - a classic symptom of COVID-19 - where he received treatment. But died while he was on his way home.

Upon receiving news of Wasim’s death under peculiar circumstances, local health and administrative officials swung into action and established that the doctor who had treated the deceased at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital was COVID-19 positive.

Following the revelation, they tested the family members of the deceased before ordering them to quarantine themselves.

“When we got to know that the doctor who had operated upon Wasim was COVID-19 positive, we couldn’t rule out the possibility of the deceased patient and his family members contracting the virus, which is why we have placed eight of his family members under quarantine,” said Dr. Amarjeet Singh, Corona Nodal Officer.

Singh added, “we have taken their swab samples and sent them to the lab for testing, and we will plan our future course of action on the basis of these reports.”

Meanwhile, the administration and health officials are trying to trace the contact history of Wasim.