COVID-19 DIARIES : A Quarantine Tragedy

Bhayandar man expires while his family is quarantined.

This is a story about a Family living in Bhayandar, Mumbai, India, in April 2021. The family consisted of 4 members, i.e., The Father (Ganesh Kapoor), Wife (Gita Kapoor), The 21-year old Son (Sahil Kapoor), and 18-year-old Daughter (Riya Kapoor).

The Kapoor family always started their day by spending their mornings together over breakfast and some laughs. Sahil and Riya would always hug their dad before he left to work. The Kapoor Family that was always happy did not seem they had prepared for the storm that was about to hit them. In April, the entire family tested positive one at a time in the same week. Getting to know this got the family traumatized. Regardless, they were glad that none of them had to be separated, and all were in this together.

All members being positive, the BMC took charge of the situation and kept them together in the BMC covid war zone in Bhayandar. A BMC covid war zone is where the BMC isolates Covid-19 positive patients whose house is not big enough for them to self-quarantine themselves. In April, there was a massive rise in cases, and hence the BMC covid war zone couldn’t cater to everyone in need. During the Kapoor Family’s Quarantine in the BMC covid war zone, The Father’s (Ganesh Kapoor) condition started to worsen as the days went by. After that, he was transferred from the covid war zone to a nearby Municipal hospital due to his deteriorating health.

The doctors then advised the son (Sahil) to transfer Ganesh to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Regardless of the son being quarantined, he made all the attempts he could by calling his relatives, friends, and neighbors. Unfortunately, due to covid-19 being the peak crisis in Mumbai, they couldn’t find a suitable ICU in another hospital or elsewhere in Mumbai. Finally, the next day somehow, the municipal hospital suggested transferring Ganesh to the NSE Goregaon Covid Zone. The BMC then arranged an ambulance to move Ganesh to the NSE Goregaon covid war zone. During the transfer, not a single known person was there around him to look after him and discuss his health with the doctors. Due to the son (Sahil) being a covid positive patient, none of his relatives or friends could aid him during his crisis while he kept shedding tears, asking for the slightest help. On the next day, after Ganesh’s transfer to the NSE Goregaon covid center, he couldn’t withstand covid-19 and passed away and was requested to be cremated.

This incident wasn’t taken well by the Kapoor Family. Apart from them being stunned, they were filled with sorrow and wept in pain at the loss of their beloved. Imagine the crisis going through this family in that situation. The one that depicted this story even mentioned that Mr. Kapoor’s children didn’t even get to see the last rites of their late father. Both the children, Sahil and Riya, could not even give their dad one last hug as a sign of farewell. Imagine the suffering his wife must have gone through for not even saying a final goodbye to her beloved husband and being left alone with her two children in that situation and condition. Even though the family wept bitterly, the BMC, doctors, and everyone else felt as vulnerable as them for not even leaving them out of the covid war zone after the hardship they went through. Days after the tragic incident, the family recovered from the virus physically, but the damage and toll on them emotionally are beyond comparison. Sahil and Riya were soo heartbroken in the memory of their late father that they still preferred isolation even after recovering from covid-19.

The conclusion here is that we should always strive to help others regardless of the situation. Staying safe and helping others to do the same contributes to a significant step in this pandemic situation. The Kapoor’s Family’s tragedy is just one of the many unheard stories brought to the spotlight.

What’s an important take-home message based on this story?

Good family Mediclaim is a must – Taking mediclaim is a must for every family. If the Kapoor family had a good amount of mediclaim, Mr. Ganesh Kapoor could have been saved as he could have been transferred to a private hospital ICU.

Be serious when it comes to any illness – Had the Kapoor family quarantined and isolated the first one who started getting symptoms of Covid-19, none of the other members woud have also got infected and would have tested positive.

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Disclaimer:

The story is interpreted in the form of an article based on the narration received by one of the close relatives of the Kapoor family, who does not wish to be named. The family name is also a namesake surname, as the relative does not want to hurt the emotional sentiments of the family if they happen to read this article anytime in the future.

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