3 deaths, toll mounts to 17 in Ludhiana

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 22

Three more Covid-positive patients died in the district today, taking the death toll to 17. They were admitted to SPS Hospital, Fortis and the Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. Besides, 30 more persons tested positive.

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A 70-year-old resident of Shivpuri succumbed to Covid at SPS Hospital this morning. He was admitted to the hospital three days ago. He was hypertensive and suffering from a kidney disease.

A 63-year-old patient from Jamalpur died at the Fortis hospital. He was admitted to Emergency last night in a critical condition with pulse rate 34/minute and BP unrecordable. His Covid report came positive posthumously, said Dr Gurdarshan Singh Mangat, Unit Head of Fortis.

Third patient who succumbed was a 42-year-old resident of Mundian Kalan. She was admitted to the Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, with uncontrolled diabetes. She was shifted to the isolation ward on June 20 after she showed Covid symptoms. Treatment for her blood sugar levels and Covid infection was initiated by the doctor on duty on June 21. The patient was intubated on June 22 and she suffered a cardiac arrest at 9:20 am, and could not be resuscitated despite best efforts by the doctors.

The patient’s daughter and husband are also getting treatment for Covid in Patiala.

Meanwhile, 16 persons tested posted from the containment zone of Prem Nagar.

Four cops infected

Four more police personnel were found infected. They include an ASI posted at Shimlapuri, a Home Guards jawan posted as orderly with the DCP, another Home Guards jawan posted with the traffic police, an ASI posted with the PCR (his son tested positive at Pathankot yesterday).

A 45-year-old medicine lab technician residing near the old Civil Hospital also tested positive and was sent to home quarantine.

Five contacts of positive patients from Sherpur Market, Rahon Road, Basti Jodhewal, Krishna Nagar and Jamalpur also tested positive.

Three patients reported by private labs are from Shivpuri, Beant Colony and Guru Nanak Pura.

A resident of Ludhiana tested positive at Fatehgarh Sahib.

‘Duty comes first for these doctors’

Setting an example of commitment to duty, doctors at the Pancham Hospital put a stent in a heart patient, who was also a Covid suspect, as soon as he landed in the hospital. After the patient’s report came positive, the doctors and staff were quarantined for a week. They were removed from the quarantine today after their Covid report came negative. “It’s their first duty as a doctor to save the life of a patient, which we performed honestly,” said Dr RP Singh, MD and Senior Cardiologist of Pancham Hospital.