Nipah death: ‘I’m on my way, take care of kids'', dying nurse''s message to hubby

Tribune News service

Chandigarh, May 22

A 31-year-old nurse attending to Nipah patient in Kerala died on Monday hours after leaving behind an emotional letter to her husband asking him to “take care of her two small children”.

As reported by the Newsminute, the heart-wrenching letter was scribbled by the victim, Lini, after she had attended to the first victim of the Nipah virus, Mohammad Sadek in Kerala.

The husband Sajish had flown down from Bahrain where he is working after being informed that his wife was unwell. “I think I am almost on my way; I don't think I'll be able to meet you. Please look after our children. Take them with you to the Gulf; don't be all alone like our father, please." Newsminute reported quoting the letter addressed to her husband Sajish. In her letter, Lini pleaded her husband to take care of the couple’s toddlers, aged two and five.

According to reports, Lini had developed fever a day or two after Sadik passed away. 

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Facebook to mourn the death.

“The loss of Lini, who had sacrificed her life for nursing a patient, is a grief for all of us. Lini’s sacrifice is incomparable. It is painful that Lini met with this tragedy while she was sincerely doing her duty. We, the people of the state, share the pain and loss of Lini’s family, friends and colleagues, ” the CM wrote. 

Lini was a daily-wage employee at the EMS Memorial Cooperative Hospital at Perambra and had joined the hospital only in September last year. Three nurses from the same hospital who had attended to Nipah Virus-affected patients have contracted the illness.

They have been referred to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, Newsminute reported.

Though lab results of Lini’s blood and fluid samples hadn’t come yet, her body was not handed over to her family. After consulting the family, authorities cremated the body in an electronic crematorium. This was done as a precautionary measure to ensure that the virus, if present, did not spread further.

Lini’s children, husband and others who had been in close touch to her are under observation and their blood samples have been taken.

At least 10 people have reportedly lost their lives to the Nipah Virus in Kerala so far, of which lab results in four cases are awaited.