The National Security Guard (NSG), India’s federal
counter-terrorist commando force, on Wednesday has reported its first Covid
related death after a senior commander succumbed to the infection.
According to the officials, Group Commander (coordination) BK Jha contracted the infection around April 19. After his health deteriorated he was admitted to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) Hospital in Greater Noida where he breathed his last early morning.
As per the officials, CAPF medical team earlier informed that Commander Jha’s health is improving however his condition deteriorated on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
Upon realizing the critical condition of the commando, top NSG officials asked the doctors to put him on a ventilator. Unfortunately, the two ventilators at the CAPF were ‘non-functional.
Later, officials started making calls to the top medical facilities including AIIMS Delhi, but the hospital denied arranging an ICU bed at such short notice.
Following this, contact was made with the Fortis Hospital where a vacant bed with a ventilator was available. However, there was another challenge in the way as no ambulance was available.
While arranging a ventilator and an ambulance, crucial time was wasted and when the NSG dispatched one of its Advanced Cardiac Life Support Ambulances (ACLS) was already late.
When commando Jha was taken into the ambulance and suffered a cardiac arrest, which could not resist and died on the way to the hospital.
It may be noted here that the deceased officer was working with one of the administrative units of the force and was not in the combat wing, officials added.
53-years-old Jha was a 1993-batch officer of the BSF cadre, hailed from Bihar. In 2018, the officer joined the NSG on deputation from the BSF and had served as the principal staff officer and commandant to the BSF director-general.
To pay obeisance to the deceased officer, the NSG took to its official handle of micro-blogging site and wrote, “DG and all ranks of NSG mourn his death and remember his distinguished service to the Nation. May Almighty rest his noble soul in eternal peace and give strength to his family to bear the loss.”