At 94, poet Dehalvi beats Covid-19

Noida (UP), June 8

“Us sitamgar ki meherbani se, dil ulajhta hai zindagani se” (It’s the kindness of the oppressor, that entangles me more with life).

Perhaps nothing more than his own couplet can define Urdu poet Gulzar Dehalvi’s recovery from Covid-19, who at the age of 94 has defeated the infection that has claimed over 7,200 lives in the country so far.

Anand Mohan Zutshi, famous as Gulzar Dehalvi, was admitted to the private Sharda Hospital, a dedicated Covid-19 facility, on June 1 and discharged on Sunday, District Information Officer Rakesh Chauhan said.

“Ten patients were discharged from Sharda Hospital on Sunday, including the 94-year-old man, after successful treatment,” Chauhan said. The nonagenarian, known in literary circles for his passion and command over Urdu, previously had heart and thyroid-related issues besides age-related concerns, Sharda Hospital’s medical superintendent Ashutosh Niranjan said.

“When I examined the patient, he was critically ill. His oxygen saturation was very low. So, we immediately decided to shift him to the ICU. His body had low oxygen levels with respiratory acidosis,” the senior doctor said.

He said the hospital then appointed dedicated staff and a doctor to take personal care of the patient.

He was given ventilation support with high antibiotics, anti-viral, multivitamins besides supportive therapy for his heart disease and hypothyroidism along with high protein diet with Ryles tube.

Eventually, his condition improved and the non-invasive ventilation support was removed after three days. “On June 5, we again tested him for COVID-19 and got a negative report on June 6. On Sunday, the patient was discharged and sent back home for self-quarantine for seven days,” Niranjan said. — PTI