Faith, will power see centenarian through

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 24

Centenarian Massa Singh, a Dalit resident of Dyal-Shahabpur village in Tarn Taran district, is perhaps the oldest person in the region to have emerged victorious in the fight against Covid-19.

A baptised Sikh, Singh says he got stranded during lockdown while visiting Takht Sri Hazur Sahib to perform two-month sewa (volunteer service).

“I returned on April 28 and learnt I had contracted the virus on May 6. I was shifted to the isolation ward of Guru Nanak Super Speciality Hospital, Tarn Taran. But I didn’t lose hope and followed my daily ritual of reciting Japji Sahib and mool mantra. I surrendered myself to doctors and it was with their help that I could recover in 12 days,” he says.

Singh, who claims to be 100 years old, says he is witness to the mass killings during Partition. Drawing comparison with the current situation, he says: “I saw death at Sheron di Rohi (Kasur Nullah), where thousands of bodies were dumped as Army watched helplessly. Now, Covid-19 is claiming thousands of lives across the world and we are helpless. Only will power and following medical advice can help beat the virus.”

Civil Surgeon Dr Anoop Kumar says the centenarian’s recovery will instil hope in other Covid patients. “Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions are at high risk of developing severe symptoms. Our records say he is 100 years old and we were apprehensive when his reports first came in. But his strong will power helped him recover,” he says.

Bq

Will instil hope in other patients

“We are really encouraged by his recovery. This will further instil hope in other Covid-19 patients”

— Dr Anoop Kumar, Tarn Taran Civil Surgeon