India — MUZAFFARPUR A 30-year-old man died allegedly of Covid-19 complications on board the Ahmedabad-Barauni super-fast express on Friday, even as railway officials said that they were “not aware of his Covid status”.
Muzaffarpur station house officer of the Government Railway Police, Dinesh Kumar Sahu, said that the deceased, Rajesh Kumar Chowdhary, boarded the train from Ahmedabad with his wife, Chhaya Devi, and two children.
“He boarded the train at Ahmedabad along with his wife and two kids, and they were travelling in B4 compartment of the train. He was treated at Danapur railway station after his condition deteriorated. The doctors attended to him and advised the patient not to travel,” Sahu said. His wife was carrying his Covid-19 test report, he said.
Why was he not stopped at the Danapur railway station?
He tested positive for Covid-19 in Surat on April 5, Kumar’s wife said. “The doctors from Surat advised him to get admitted in the hospital. But he decided to return home. We boarded the train on Thursday morning to return to Narvara village in Sheohar district,” Devi said.
Kumar hailed from Narvara in Bihar’s Sheohar district and was living in Surat where he worked for a private company.
Kumar died between Danapur and Muzaffarpur railway stations, Sahu said. “We have taken out the body in the presence of some senior officials of RPF, rail administration and district administration at the Muzaffarpur station,” he said.
His wife and the two kids have tested negative for Covid-19 and were allowed to go with their relatives, Sahu said, adding that Kumar’s body has been sent to SKMCH for a post-mortem examination.
Railway officials, however, said they were not aware that Kumar had tested positive for Covid-19.
“One Rajesh Kumar Chowdhary was travelling from Surat to Muzaffarpur, [and] passed away in train near Patna. He was treated at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) railway station. We are not aware about his Covid status,” said chief public relation officer, East central railway, Rajesh Kumar.
Sahu said he was treated at Danapur railway station. Is that the same as the DDU railway station?
Also his wife has said they were returning home to Sheohar district, Kumar is saying they were travelling to Muzaffarpur. Please check
Devi, however, denied that Kumar was treated at the railway station. “I informed the coach attendant and TTE in night seeking medical help as the condition of my husband deteriorated. But no help was given until the train reached Danapur railway station, where attending doctors declared him dead. So, I continued the journey for Muzaffarpur with his body,” she said.
(Earlier we have said that he died between Danapur and Muzaffarpur after he was treated at Danapur station. His wife is saying he was declared dead at Danapur. Please check)
Kumar’s body was handed over to his family on Saturday afternoon, said WHO. According to Covid-19 protocol, post mortem examinations of Covid-19 patients are not performed. (Please check. Sahu said his body was sent for post-mortem examination.)