Dr HK Gardin, an infectious diseases specialist, died of post-Covid complications at Tata Main Hospital on Thursday noon.
With the death of Dr Gardin, the coronavirus has claimed the life of the fourth doctor in East Singhbhum.
A resident of Sakchi, Gardin (61) served at Tata Main Hospital till his retirement last year. He achieved acclaim in the field of treatment and control of HIV and AIDS in the city.
He was admitted at the Tata Main Hospital on September 5 with breathing trouble. He tested Covid positive the next day. Dr Gardin eventually tested Covid negative on September 15, but wasn’t discharged from the hospital due to post-Covid complications.
According to hospital sources, his lungs were badly damaged. He could not survive the post-Covid complications despite all necessary treatment.
"Dr Gardin died this afternoon after he was admitted at the Tata Main Hospital on September 5 with breathing trouble. He had subsequently tested Covid positive. He tested negative on September 15, but continued to receive treatment at the hospital. Whether his demise can be counted as a Covid death is up to the Tata Main Hospital authority," district civil surgeon Ralendra Nath Jha told The Telegraph Online.
Earlier, Dr MM Agrawal, Dr JP Lal and Dr Birendra Baitha died of Covid. Dr Gardin’s death has affected the doctors' fraternity at Tata Main Hospital and also in the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Jamshedpur unit.
Dr Mritunjay Singh, president IMA, Jamshedpur said the steel city and the medical fraternity lost a very efficient physician.
"Dr Gardin was a very esteemed member of the IMA. Not only the medical fraternity, but also the people of Jamshedpur lost a jewel," Singh said.
In all, 117 more people were tested Covid positive during the past 24 hours here, taking the total number of cases in the East Singhbhum district to 12,487.
Four people died of Covid during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll in the district to 301. As of now 10,190 people have been cured of Covid and have returned to their homes across the district.
