Death of Covid-19 patient: Nawabshah health dept allows funeral, soyem

NAWABSHAH: The health administration of Shaheed Benazirabad demonstrated a clear reckless and callous behaviour for failing to enforce Covid-19 SOPs following the death of an infected person and allowed around 250 people to attend the funeral and assemble at the soyem.

Saeed Qureshi had died at Indus Hospital Karachi on April 18 due to coronavirus infection. The body was brought to Nawabshah and despite full knowledge of the sensitivity of the case, no one from the health department or the police tried to stop people from gathering at the funeral and soyem. This raises serious question marks as to why the SOPs were flouted when Deputy Commissioner Abrar Ahmed Jaffer had personally informed District Health Officer Dr Moin Shaikh about the death of Covid-19 patient and that the body was being brought to Shaheed Benazirabad. People are asking questions as to how putting the lives of hundreds of people to risk was allowed. There was no secrecy and the officials of the health department knew in advance about the arrival of the body of patient who had died of Covid-19 complications. Not only that the family was not isolated immediately but were freely allowed to mix with large number of people of the city.

The deceased Saeed Qureshi, an employee of Bahria Town, was admitted to the Indus Hospital, Karachi on April 18, where he died to coronavirus infection. His funeral in Shaheed Benazirabad was attended by 250 around people and later on April 20 a similarly large number of people violated the SOPs to attend the soyem held at Masjid Khizra, Manuabad. Reacting to the faux pas, the Deputy Commissioner Abrar Ahmed Jaffer sought explanation from District Health Officer Dr Moin Shaikh and directed action against the relevant officials for failing to quarantine the area.

The DIG similarly suspended DIB In-charge Abdul Hameed Jalbani and SHO Airport Police Station Maqsood Manganhar. Interestingly, DHO Dr Moin Shaikh in his reply to DC confirmed receiving several WhatsApp messages from the DC Abrar Ahmed Jaffer, regarding the despatch of body to Shaheed Benazirabad.

The messages specifically informed that the deceased had died due to corona infection and even informed that the body was being brought to the Shaheed Benazirabad with minute to minute updates. But the DHO fails to explain whey despite receiving timely information, the body was allowed to be taken to the graveyard along with a funeral procession as if everything was normal.

No action was taken then and the same callousness was repeated on the soyem when a large number of people attended the event. It was only on the fifth day that the administration sealed the area and quarantined the family members.