Hisar Man, Who Ensured Dignified Cremation for Over 300 COVID-19 Victims, Dies of Coronavirus

Hisar, May 19: Praveen Kumar, an employee of the Hisar municipal corporation in Haryana who ensured dignified cremation for over 300 COVID-19 victims, died of coronavirus on May 17. Praveen Kumar succumbed to COVID-19 infection barely two days after testing positive. He was leading a team of employees of the Hisar municipal corporation who were performing last rites of those died of coronavirus at the Rishi Nagar cremation ground in Hisar. Haryana Reports 124 COVID Deaths, 7,774 New Cases.

"Kumar had cremated over 300 bodies of Covid-positive patients since last year. He tested positive two days ago and was admitted to a private hospital, where his oxygen level kept dipping due to which he died," Sunil Bainiwal, a spokesperson of the civic body, was quoted by TOI as saying. Kumar, who was also the president of the Hisar Municipal Corporation Employees Union, is survived by his wife and two sons. Several Haryana Districts Not Getting Their Quota of Oxygen, Claims Surjewala.

Kumar's family struggled to arrange a bed in hospital for him, according to reports. His oxygen level had dropped to 40 a few hours after he tested positive, said Jitendra Sheoran, head of the Hisar Sangharsh Samiti. Sheoran added that it took Kumar's family three hours to arrange a bed for him. Finally, a bed was arranged at a private hospital but his condition had deteriorated by then.

Kumar breathed his last on May 17 and was cremated at the Rishi Nagar cremation ground the next day. Hisar municipal corporation mayor Gautam Sardana, municipal commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg and other senior officials attended Kumar's last rites. He would cremate over 20 bodies in a day.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2021 12:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).