Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Phunsog Namgyal travelled from New Delhi to Ladakh last week but little did he know that he was Covid-19 infected.
The 83-year-old reached home safely where his condition deteriorated after which he breathed his last on Monday, and all of a sudden hundreds of people assembled at his home to take part in last rites, in a brazen violation of Covid-19 rules.
A team of doctors had taken his samples, the results of which came positive a day after his death. But the damage was done. Almost all his contacts were prime suspects besides his family members, especially two daughters, who were taking care of him.
And as expected, today, Namgyal’s two daughters tested positive. Officials said that 145 contacts who visited former minister’s home to participate in the last rites and to offer condolences have been put under quarantine.
Medical Superintendent, Sonam Norboo Memorial (SNM) hospital Leh, Dr Tsering Samphel that two daughters of former minister have tested positive for Coronavirus. “A number of samples were collected from primary contacts of the deceased whose tests are awaited. So far, 145 primary suspects have been put under quarantine,” he said. He said eight close contacts of the deceased have already tested positive who have been kept in an isolation ward at SNM hospital.
Deputy Commissioner Leh, Sachin Kumar has constituted a high level three-member Committee to enquire into lapses in the protocol in handling Covid-19 suspect’s body and has sought a report within two days for further course of action into the same.
As per the protocol and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the body of all the suspects must be kept in mortuary until the final sample reports are collected after which proper standard operating procedure (SOP) has to be followed for the burial/last rites with attendance of very few people under close vigil of administration.
The deceased was widely respected among Buddhists in Ladakh. He also served the Pradesh Congress Committee in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state as secretary general and vice president. From 1960-73 and then from 1974-80, he remained a member of the then Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council until he got elected to seventh Lok Sabha. Four years later in 1984, he was re-elected to Lok Sabha and served the Central government as union deputy minister between 1988-89. He was elected to the Lok Sabha third time in 1996.
