Latest News

  • Home
  • National
  • As Relatives Stay Away, Kerala Doctor Performs Last Rites of Nipah Victims
As Relatives Stay Away, Kerala Doctor Performs Last Rites of Nipah Victims
08 June 2018 IST
As Relatives Stay Away, Kerala Doctor Performs Last Rites of Nipah Victims

With close relatives staying away due to fear of contracting Nipah, Dr RS Gopakumar, Health Officer of Kozhikode corporation, took the responsibility of handling 12 bodies, whose final journey was supervised by him.

 
 

Kozhikode: Going beyond the call of duty, a doctor here performed the role of a pallbearer to conduct the last rites of some of those who lost their lives to the deadly Nipah virus.
 
With close relatives staying away due to fear of contracting Nipah, Dr RS Gopakumar, Health Officer of Kozhikode corporation, took the responsibility of handling 12 bodies, whose final journey was supervised by him. "I was a pallbearer for 3 bodies and performed their last rites too," the 41-year-old Gopakumar told PTI.
 
Nipah virus has claimed 17 lives — 14 in Kozhikode and 3 in neighbouring Malappuram since its outbreak last month.
 
On Tuesday, the state government had updated the toll to 17 after including the death of Mohammed Sabith, the first victim, whose samples had not been tested for Nipah.
 
Gopakumar said he performed the last rites of a 17-year-old boy who died of Nipah as his mother was in the isolation ward for suspected virus infection.
 
She could not even see her son for one last time and permitted Dr Gopakumar to perform the exequies. "I was saddened that during his last journey there were none of his dear ones to perform last rites. I did not have to think twice... and I decided to perform all Hindu rites for the boy as I wanted him to go on his final journey with all the dignity. It was my duty...," he said.
 
After relatives of a 53-year-old man, who died of Nipah, informed him that they were not participating in the funeral, he conducted the final rites for him too.
 
Another last journey which tugged his heart was when he assisted the husband of a 19-year-old woman.
 
The woman, who had allegedly consumed poison, had been brought to a hospital here from Karnataka when some persons who were later found to be positive for Nipah, were treated near her bed. However, the woman's samples were found to be negative later.
 
Extreme care and standing operating procedures laid down by the experts of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were followed for handling Nipah affected bodies during the cremation and burial as exposure to Nipah virus (NiV) is highly hazardous.
 
Secretion and excretion from a deceased person are considered equally infectious like that of a living infected person.
 
As part of the standard procedures, the bodies should not be sprayed, washed or embalmed and personnel handling remains have to wear protective equipment like gloves, gowns, N95 masks, eye protection shield and shoe cover.
 
Gopakumar said he had overseen the funeral of 61-year-old Moosa, whose two sons and brother's wife had fallen prey to Nipah virus.
 
It is suspected that during the ritual of bathing of Sabith's body, Moosa and his younger son might have contracted the virus, he said.
 
A 10-feet pit was dug and 5 kg of bleaching powder was spread inside the pit. The body was packed in an air-tight plastic double body bag and then lowered into the pit.
 

 
 

Dr Reshma Sahay, Scientist from the National Virology Institute, Pune was present as she had handled Ebola cases earlier. "We followed Ebola protocol for the burial," Dr Gopakumar said.
 
Of the 12 bodies, 8 were Nipah positive cases and four were suspected cases which later turned out to be negative. Patients' relatives performed rites for nine of the bodies.
 
There were situations when the staff in Kozhikode crematorium refused to perform the last rites of some Nipah victims due to fear. The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.
 
The body was in the ambulance for few hours after which people from Ivor madom, who conduct funeral rites on the banks of Bharatha puzha, had to be called to do the final rites, he said.
 
The issue was discussed by the Kerala Assembly yesterday and Health minister, KK Shylaja was all praise for the selfless service of Dr Gopakumar.
 

 
 
 
 
 

Related Topics

 
 
 

Trending News & Articles

 Article
Here is the full list of 827 porn websites banned by the DoT

While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content. ...

Recently posted . 56K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Class XII Boys Raped 16-Year-old in Dehradun School After Watching Porn on Phone: Police

The four boys as well as five school officials, including the director and principal, were arrested after the incident. The minors were presented before the Juvenil...

Recently posted . 7K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Sept 27,2001 Rahul Gandhi and his girl friend Veronique,was arrested in Logan airport in Boston

Rahul was having an Italian passport and was carrying suitcase full of dollars. Some say it was about was it $2 million. Rahul and his girl friend was th...

Recently posted . 6K views . 7 min read
 

 Article
TOP 10 GYM EQUIPMENT BRANDS IN INDIA 2017

True – Tr...

Recently posted . 6K views . 83 min read
 

 
 

More in National

 Article
Two-day bank strike begins today: Millions of customers may be affected across India, ATMs could go dry

Employees from nearly 40 state-owned and private banks across the country are going on a strike on May 30 and May 31 to press for a revision of wages they say is ...

Recently posted. 495 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Month after demonetisation: Real estate prices tumble, registrations plunge

The Center's demonetisation move has come as a rude awakening for the realty showcase in the national capital district with enrollment of properties plunging by...

Recently posted. 697 views . 30 min read
 

 Article
Samsung to invest Rs 1,970 crore for new manufacturing unit in UP

An memorandum of understanding (MoU) was marked on Monday between the state government and cell phones major Samsung for setting up an assembling unit in Uttar Prad...

Recently posted. 690 views . 10 min read
 

 Video
MAGNETIC HILL ( LEH ) INDIA



Recently posted . 919 views
 

 Reviews
Top Schools In Noida Extension Area



Recently posted . 1K views . 52 min read
 

 Article
Union Budget 2017: Tax rate halved to 5 percentage for income of Rs 2.5-5 lakh; 10 percentage surcharge on income between Rs 50 lakh-1 crore

New Delhi: Softening the demonetisation blow, the Budget for the money related year 2017-18 on Wednesday split the duty to 5 percent on earnings up to Rs 5 lakh how...

Recently posted. 513 views . 73 min read
 

 Article
Mumbai Airport Becomes First To Scrap Boarding Pass Stamping In Country

Passengers travelling within the country from T2 can now authenticate their boarding pass at pre-embarkation security check point by scanning the boarding pass barc...

Recently posted. 574 views . 1 min read
 

 
 
 

   Prashnavali

  Thought of the Day

"Failure defeats losers, but inspires winners."
Robert Kiyosaki

Be the first one to comment on this story

Close
Post Comment
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST


ads
Back To Top