Unfortunate: Senior GMCH doctor succumbs to COVID; authorities deny reports

Assam: In an unfortunate incident, a senior doctor at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has died reportedly due to Covid-19. But GMCH authorities, along with a friend of the deceased doctor have denied the reports that he succumbed to coronavirus.

The deceased doctor, Dr Jahan Iqbal served as an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. He died after suffering from respiratory distress. The 56-year-old doctor is supposedly the first COVID-19 death from the medical fraternity in the state.

As per a senior GMCH doctor, Dr. Iqbal was suffering from cough and fever and his antigen test was negative, following which his swab samples were sent for the RT-PCR test. He was in-home quarantine when his oxygen level fell this morning and he died on way to the hospital.

According to PTI, it has been found that the doctor passed away after succumbing to COVID, however, NE Today reports that GMCH is denying to attribute COVID as the reason behind his death. His friend has posted on social media mourning his death and stating respiratory trouble to be the cause of his death.

The hike in COVID-19 cases is becoming a matter of serious concern. There has been already 45 casualties due to the Coronavirus in the state but the Death Audit Board is yet to ascertain whether five of these had the "underlying cause of death" as COVID-19.

The number of infected in Assam has already reached 1807 and the situation in Guwahati is grim as COVID cases are on a rise and it is "important that we have the highest level of preparedness to deal with the emerging situation", Sarma said. The state has reported 1,001 new cases and out of these, 513 are from Guwahati.

PTI reported that this is the second-highest single-day spike in cases so far. The highest single-day spike of 1,202 cases was reported on July 4. The total number of cases in Guwahati has reached 7,544 since June 24.