Kozikhode, June 6: Going beyond the call of duty, a doctor performed the role of a pall bearer to conduct the last rites of some of those who lost their lives to the deadly Nipah virus.
With close relatives staying away due to fear of contracting Nipah, Dr R S Gopakumar, Health Officer of Kozhikode Corporation, took the responsibility of handling 12 bodies, whose final journey was supervised by him.
“I was a pall bearer for 3 bodies and performed their last rites too,” 41-year-old Gopakumar said. Nipah virus has claimed 17 lives — 14 in Kozhikode and 3 in neighbouring Malappuram since its outbreak last month.
Tuesday, state government had updated the toll to 17 after including the death of Mohammed Sabith, the first victim, whose samples had not been tested for Nipah. Gopakumar said he performed the last rites of a 17-year-old boy who died of Nipah as his mother was in the isolation ward for suspected virus infection.
She could not even see her son for one last time and permitted Dr Gopakumar to perform the last rites. “I was saddened that during his last journey there was none of his dear ones to perform last rites. I did not have to think twice.. and I decided to perform all Hindu rites for the boy as I wanted him to go on his final journey with all the dignity. It was my duty…,” he said.
After relatives of a 53-year-old man, who died of Nipah, informed him that they were not participating in the funeral, he conducted the final rites for him too. Another last journey which tugged his heart was when he assisted the husband of a 19-year-old woman. The woman, who had allegedly consumed poison, had been brought to a hospital from Karnataka when some persons who were later found to be positive for Nipah, were treated near her bed.
However, the woman’s samples were found to be negative later. Extreme care and standing operating procedures laid down by the experts of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were followed for handling Nipah affected bodies during the cremation and burial as exposure to Nipah virus (NiV) is highly hazardous.
Secretion and excretion from a person who has died are considered equally infectious like that of a living infected person. As part of the standard procedures, the bodies should not be sprayed, washed or embalmed and personnel handling remains have to wear protective equipment like gloves, gowns, eye protection shield and shoe cover.