TUMAKURU: A young doctor working at the government hospital in Kunigal died of Covid-19 complications at the same hospital late on Monday night. Dr Devaraj (35) was working at the hospital’s Non-Communicable Diseases wing since August 3, 2017 and was screening Covid patients when he contracted the virus 12 days ago. The doctor, who had lost both his parents, went for home isolation at his native village Channathimmanapalya, a remote hamlet, near Yeliyuru.
But on Monday, he developed breathlessness and was rushed to the government hospital with a pulse rate lower than 54 beats per minute. He was referred to Surya Private Hospital’s Covid Care Centre in Tumakuru. “But he was brought dead and we further referred the case to the district general hospital,” said Dr Lakshmikanth. “His oxygen saturation was below 60 per cent and he died without responding to treatment,” said DHO Dr M B Nagendrappa.
Since Devaraj was asymptomatic, he might have ignored follow-up tests and did not get himself admitted to hospital in time. As he had no parents, there was no one to take care of him, said a department official.Five employees from the health department, including Taluk Health Officer Dr Jagadeesh, conducted the last rites at the village on Tuesday.“It’s unfortunate that we lost such a young doctor whom I knew personally. I was busy looking after KPCC president Dr D K Shivakumar,” said MLA Dr Ranganath, who himself contracted the virus and donated plasma after recovery.