Nipah virus has claimed many lives in the country. 14 people lost their lives to the disease so far and one soldier in Kolkata too lost his life. A doctor from the city of Kozhikode in Kerala performed the last rites on the victims of the deadly virus. With relatives choosing to stay away from the patients with the fear of contraction, the doctor went beyond his call of duty to ensure the unfortunate ones get a smooth final goodbye. Dr R S Gopakumar, Health Officer of Kozhikode corporation handled 12 bodies and supervised the last rites.

The 41-year old doctor told PTI, “I was a pall bearer for 3 bodies and performed their last rites too." People in Kerala have been put on high alert following the deadly outbreak. It has claimed a total of 17 lives- 14 in Kozhikode and 3 in neighbouring Malappuram. Gopakumar performed the last rites on a 17-year old boy who died of Nipah. His mother was advised full isolation for the suspect of contracting the virus. She could not even see her son for the last time and permitted the doctor to conduct 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.

Relatives of another 53-year old man too denied performing the last rites and the doctor did the funeral for him too. A 19-year old woman's husband assisted him in conducting the funeral for his wife. The wife had allegedly consumed poison but it was later discovered that she had been contracted by Nipah from people who were treated nearby her bed. But it was found negative later. The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus. What is Nipah Virus? How it Spreads, Symptoms & Preventive Measures.

During the cremation process, extreme care was taken so that there would be no exposure to the Nipah virus (NiV). Standing operating procedures laid down by the experts of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) were followed for handling Nipah affected bodies. Even the secretion and excretion from a deceased person are considered equally infectious. The standard procedures suggest that the bodies should not be sprayed, washed or embalmed and personnel handling remains have to wear protective equipment like gloves, gowns, N95 masks, eye protection shield and shoe cover.

Gopakumar had seen the funeral of 61-year old Moosa whose sons and brother's wife also fell prey to the Nipah virus during the bathing ritual of the body. A 10-feet pit was dug and 5 kg of bleaching powder was spread inside the pit. The body was packed in an air-tight plastic double body bag and then lowered into the pit. For the burial, Ebola protocol was followed.Dr Reshma Sahay, Scientist from the National Virology Institute, Pune was also present as she had handled the Ebola cases earlier. Fact or Hoax: Will Homeopathic Remedy ‘Gelsemium 200’ Really Protect Us Against Nipah Virus? The Answer Will Shock You.

Out of the 12 bodies, 8 were Nipah positive cases. Patients relatives have performed the funeral for 9 of the bodies. The staff in Kozhikode crematorium refused to perform the last rites as too feared the contraction. Dr Gopakumar is receiving all the praise for his good deed of selfless service. The issue was discussed by the Kerala Assembly yesterday and Health minister, K K Shylaja too praised his efforts. (With agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2018 07:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).