SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Two most distressing pictures of COVID-19 victims during the last four days have evoked relevant question from saner section of society, should dogma continue to haunt society? The first picture is of a young female COVID-19 patient under treatment at SMCH declared dead was being taken in a hearse escorted by circle officer of Sonai circle, Sudip Nath, for cremation at an isolated place near Mizoram border under Dholai police station of Cachar. A team of police men also accompanied the dead body carrier. It was close to midnight. The villagers of Dhulikhal got hint of it. A large crowd of men and women detained the vehicle at the market place of Dhulikhal and obstructed the movement.
The circle officer and the police officer of Dholai Police Station Shahabuddin tried to pacify the enraged crowd who would not listen to any reasoning. Even the circle officer's attempt to seek intervention of village headman and senior persons of the locality could not melt the ice. Finding no way out, the hearse along with a convoy of four other vehicles headed towards cremation ground of Silchar for the last rites almost around the break of dawn. The stigma and dogma in the minds of people are still so deep rooted that nothing could shake them.
Just a week back Piyush Hazarika, Minister of State for Health and Family Affairs, at a meeting with Deputy Commissioner of Cachar and other officials conveyed the message to people in general that it is wrong to think that COVID-19 dead patient can infect others. He himself attended the funeral of some of his close circles. In order to carry the message to masses, Keerthi Jally, Deputy Commissioner, and Dilip Paul, Silchar MLA, attended the last rites of Bimal Paul who died of COVID-19 at SMCH. Perhaps, rural populace are yet to be convinced.
The story of 27 year old Sayan Das of this town has raised some disturbing questions about the negligence of family and also health care system if the version of the family is to be accepted. After being unwell at night at home, he is taken by an auto to Civil Hospital where he is kept waiting on a bench and dipped into unconsciousness and the authorities declare him an emergency case and he is referred to SMCH. His family members are told as there is no ICU cabin, he should be taken to a private hospital. On their insistence, he was admitted in the general ward. Past midnight, Sayan Das tests positive and subsequently declared dead.
A higher authority of SMCH when contacted on condition of anonymity said the version about the death of Sayan Das as floated in the social media is not correct. A Corona patient can't sink into unconsciousness all off a sudden unless he has been sick with the symptoms for the last three or four days. He should have been taken to Civil Hospital or SMCH which was not done due to stigma for family, perhaps. When his condition deteriorated for the worse, he was brought to the Civil Hospital and there he was suspected to be a case of COVID-19 and advised admission in SMCH. He was taken to casualty ward and the register recorded Sayan Das as 'brought dead' pointed out the authority.