For the first time in Kerala, a doctor who was treating COVID-19 patients, has died of the disease. Dr MS Abdeen, who ran the KBM Clinic in Attakulangara, Thiruvananthapuram, passed away on Tuesday morning after less a week of being under treatment for COVID-19. He was 73 years old.
Confirming the news on Facebook, Dr Sulphi Noohu of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Kerala chapter, wrote that Dr Abdeen had treated COVID-19 patients until last Saturday. On Monday he was diagnosed with the disease and began treatment. By Tuesday, he was infected with pneumonia and other bodily ailments, reports Manorama News. He also had to be put on ventillator support. The doctor had diabetics and heart related ailments, it's reported.
More than 350 doctors have lost their lives to COVID-19 across India. This is the first death of a doctor in Kerala, Dr Sulphi writes.
Two people associated with healthcare work have earlier succumbed to the disease in Kerala – a mortuary worker in Ernakulam and a clerk at the Kannur District Hospital. However, this is the first time that a health worker – a doctor – who has been in direct contact with the patients, dies of the disease.
The daily number of new cases of COVID-19 in the state has increased by thousands in recent weeks. On Sunday 4,644 new cases and 18 deaths of COVID-19 patients were reported. The state has had 1,26,381 cases in total since the outbreak of the disease in January end. The number of patients who recovered are 90,089. The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 crossed 500 on Sunday.
The total number of health workers who have been infected with the virus is not out. However, by mid-July, 267 health workers across the state were reported to have been infected, according to a study released by the Directorate of Health Services.