Dhanbad, which registered its first case on April 16, became Covid free on Sunday, with the last 14 affected persons being discharged from the Covid-19 hospital at Jagjivan Nagar on Sunday.

The first person to be detected Covid positive here was an electrician of Baghakulhi locality and an employee of a steel factory in Asansol, Bengal.

The number of cases gradually rose to 109.

Dhanbad civil surgeon Dr Gopal Das, who was present at the hospital during the discharge function, along with a team of doctors, health department officials and the district secretary of the Indian Medical association, Dr Sushil Kumar, provided gift packs to the patients.

The packets comprised Chyawanprash, Horlicks, packaged mineral water, masks, horlicks and Vitamin-C capsules. They were also advised on the dos and don’ts of home quarantine.

Dhanbad deputy commissioner Amit Kumar said, “All the released persons belonging to the different blocks of Dhanbad will remain on home quarantine for 14 days. During the course of treatment the patients were provided nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner, leading to their becoming Covid free,” he told The Telegraph Online.

“The district health department, right from the top officials, led by civil surgeons and doctors, are doing a commendable job despite the adversities. The people also deserve kudos for abiding with the guidelines. We appeal to the people to strictly follow the WHO guidelines regarding social distancing, regular washing of hands and wearing of masks at public places, as the spurt in cases will put the existing health care machinery under pressure,” said Kumar.

Dhanbad witnessed a remarkable recovery of all 109 cases.

Two persons were declared cured on April 27 and May 26, six on May 31, two on June 2; one on June 3, the highest number of 37 persons on June 5, four each on June 6 and 12, 29 on June 12 and 14 on Sunday.

The recovery of patients is also significant from the point of recovery of patients of associated morbidity.

A 77-year-old blood cancer patient of Dhanbad, Ranjeet Kaur, a resident of Jamadoba, defeated Covid-19 after 23 days of treatment at the Covid hospital.

She was released along with her 39-year-old son, Manpreet, on June 31.

Kaur, who was living in Mumbai with her son for the past year for treatment, was detected Covid-19 positive on May 9 soon after her arrival at Dhanbad on May 8.

She was directly taken to the isolation ward of PMCH at the recommendation of her son-in-law who lives at Nirsa and was subsequently shifted to the Covid hospital at Saraidhela.