A 46-year-old state government employee, who had tested positive for Covid-19, allegedly committed suicide early on Sunday in East Midnapore’s Balarampur village under Tamluk, when he was in home isolation.

Family sources confirmed that the deceased had been in “panic mode” with regard to the pandemic over the past year, a fear that was compounded when he was unable to get vaccinated owing to the supply shortfall.

“All these factors came together and created a panic and a depression for him when he tested positive on Friday. Because of the diagnosis, his wife and small son shifted to their in-laws at a nearby village,” said a neighbour.

“This was clearly a suicide, and would not have happened if there were better resources in place,” said the deceased's father, who is 78.

Sources said the deceased worked as a clerk at West Midnapore’s Ghatal court.

“We had been leaving his food at the door of his room every morning, but this morning (Sunday) he did not respond to calls so we opened the door by force to find him hanging from the ceiling,” said a family member.

On Sunday, The Telegraph reported how East Midnapore was facing an acute shortage of Covid-19 beds in government hospitals. District officials said on Sunday that they were “trying and hoping for the best”. “We have started action and hope better resources will be available soon. We requisitioned the state for vaccine supplies, we have nearly no first doses left,” said a senior district official. The chief medical officer could not be reached for comment.

Panchayat samiti functionary Joydeb Burman said the body had been attended to “according to protocol” and “pleaded with” district health officials to organise an “immediate vaccination drive”.

“Today’s incident was extremely unfortunate, but it is happening everywhere. Younger Covid patients are succumbing now,” he said.