Unending struggle for family after 5 members hit by COVID-19

Pune, Apr 21 () A 35-year-old man, whose fatherdied of coronavirus in Pune over 10 days back and four otherfamily members are still in hospital after contracting thedisease, is in a state of shock and not able to muster courageto inform his mother about the father's demise.

The man, who is into vegetable business here inMaharashtra, is also saddened by the insensitive approach ofpeople around, who stopped interacting with his family in thishour of crisis.

His 60-year-old father died at the state-run SassoonGeneral Hospital in Pune on April 9. The deceased had co-morbid health conditions as he was diabetic and paralytic,according to health officials.

While his father was undergoing treatment, the 35-year-old man's wife, his two daughters and brother also testedpositive for the viral infection and are currently admitted atan isolation facility in the city.

The man said after his father was diagnosed pneumonia,the latter was referred to the Sassoon Hospital where hetested positive for coronavirus on April 6.

"Later, swab samples of 12 other family members andhigh-risk contracts were taken and among these, my wife,brother and my two daughters tested positive. The rest of us,including me, my one-year-old son, and mother were sent backand quarantined at a health centre," he said.

On April 9, he got the shocking news of his father'sdeath and could not believe it.

"It was unexpected as he was stable. We are still notable to come to terms with this. The saddest part is no onefrom the family could see him for one last time after hisdeath and we could not even attend his last rites," he said.

The last rites of his father were performed by membersof social outfit Mulnivasi Manch, led by Anjum Inamdar, at acity-based burial ground, he said.

The man had requested Inamdar to click some photos andvideos of the last rites so that the family could see it.

"Since four of my family members are still in thehospital, I don't have the courage to tell my mother that ourfather is no more. Though we are going through lot of stress,I am trying to behave normal in front of my mother who isalready shaken by what the family is going through," he said.

The man said he might break the news of his father'sdeath to his mother once the other family members recover fromthe deadly disease and return home.

"We are trying to cope up with the situation, but whathas saddened me more is the indifferent approach of peopletowards our family after my father tested positive forcoronavirus," he said, adding that many people known to himstopped interacting or communicating with his family.

The family of another Pune resident, who works as anelectrician, is also suffering due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

His 50-year-old mother died of coronavirus at theSassoon Hospital on April 14.

"It seems lives of all our family members have turnedupside down after my mother's death. I am the sole breadwinnerof my family. Since the lockdown, I am at home and trying tosomehow managing our finances," he said.

Razi Khan, member of the Popular Front of India whosevolunteers are closely working with the civic administrationto perform last rites of coronavirus victims from the Muslimcommunity, said till now they have buried 20 bodies in Pune.

"We are burying the bodies which are not claimed bytheir family members as they are either quarantined or arekept in hospitals. In some of the cases, we managed to makethe bereaved family members part of the last rites ritualsthrough video calls," Khan said. SPKGK GK