Kolkata, Aug 17, 2020: A nonagenarian Salesian priest has beaten Covid to go back home from hospital.
Father Peter Vincent Lourdes, 94, even hoisted the Tricolour on August 15, the Independence Day, before leaving the hospital.
Father Lourdes was diagnosed with Covid-19 in July-end. He was put in home isolation on oxygen support for a day before Fortis Hospital could offer him a bed.
“Though he had only hypertension as a co-morbid condition, age was against him. The Covid pneumonia was so bad that his oxygen requirement kept increasing. Since all ICU beds were occupied, we kept managing him with medication and oxygen support in the Covid ward,” said Basab Bijoy Sarkar, consultant, internal medicine at Fortis Anandapur, under whose supervision the patient was treated.
Father Lourdes started improving after nine days. After testing negative twice on the 14th and 16th day, he was shifted out of the Covid ward. But he was put under intensive rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, due to being extremely frail.
“He must lead a disciplined lifestyle because of which he had only one significant co-morbidity. He is a fighter. It is so heart-warming that he won the battle and went home in good health,” added Sarkar.
Earlier, a few other priests from the same order had been treated at the hospital. Although 73-year-old Father Jospeh Aymanathil succumbed to the infection in July, the rest recovered.
“We are putting in our best effort to fight the Covid battle. It is encouraging to see the team work tirelessly towards recovery of each patient. It was humbling to hear from Fr Peter’s associates who felt like he has been given a new life,” said Richa Singh Debgupta, senior Vice President, Fortis Healthcare Ltd.
Earlier, a 94-year-old and a 95-year-old had been cured from Medical Hospital Kolkata and Sanjiban Hospital Howrah. The third, a 99-year-old, is Bengal’s oldest Covid survivor.
Source: The Times of India, Kolkata