Doctors investigating Ladakh man's death

Samples of three persons from Ladakh sent for nCOV tests

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 20

The authorities have sent samples of three persons from Ladakh, including one who has died, for the nCOV test, officials said.

Tsering Angchuk, 54, of Phyang village in Leh had died two weeks ago, while two patients are under observation at SNM Hospital in Leh.

Chief Medical Officer, Leh, Motup Dorjay, said a committee had been constituted to ascertain the cause of the death of Angchuk. “We have sent samples to NIV Pune as per the Government of India protocol for the nCOV screening and reports are awaited,” Dorjay said.

Meanwhile, panic gripped the area after a letter from Medical Superintendent Dr T Angchuk of SNM Hospital Leh to Dorjay on Tuesday said that a patient showing Coronavirus symptoms had died, while two others were under observation.

“This is to bring to your kind notice that as reported by the radiologist (CT scan) and consultant physician of this hospital, we have isolated two patients. One of them is in ICU isolation and other is in general isolation. Therefore, you are requested to direct the District Health Officer to send the sample for further laboratory investigations.”

The Medical Superintendent said, “Sir, it is further submitted that one of the patients who was from Phyang earlier, who expired, had similar symptoms.”

Two patients have been kept under observation in SNM Hospital, Leh.

“Ali, 52, of Achinathangh Leh, is suffering from pnuemonia. He is responding well to treatment,” Dorjay said.

Another patient was suffering from fever and cough, he said.

However, Dorjay denied the patient of Phyang died of Coronavirus. He told The Tribune that the patient died because of pneumonia.

“The patient who died does not have any history of travel to a country with Cov-19 cases or history of contact with such a case during the past 14 days. So, he does not fulfil the criteria for Corona Virus suspect or a case as per the WHO/MOHFW guidelines,” Dorjay said.

“Nevertheless, we have sent the sample of this patient to NIV, Pune, for confirmation. There is no reason to panic at all,” he said.

India has not reported any death of nCOV so far. Even the three cases that were earlier positive in Kerala are now fine and have gone home.