Former Himachal CM Shanta Kumar taken to Mohali for COVID-19 treatment

Dharamshala (HP), December 30

Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar, who is suffering from COVID-19, has been taken to Fortis Hospital Mohali for treatment, officials said on Wednesday, a day after his wife died from the virus.

They said the 86-year-old leader and his son Vikram Sharma, who also tested positive for COVID-19, have been taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

A health department official said a team of doctors of a private hospital in Palampur is also accompanying them.

Kangra Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Gurdarshan Sharma said Kumar will undergo further treatment at Fortis Hospital Mohali. He said the former chief minister’s health conditions are under control, and he has voluntarily shifted to the hospital in Punjab after developing a mild fever in the morning.

Surinder Bhardwaj, Medical Superintendent of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College at Tanda in Kangra, said Kumar and his son were asymptomatic and released from the RPGMC hospital on Tuesday and advised home isolation.

Another official said Kumar’s daughter-in-law and two granddaughters are under home isolation in Palampur.

Kumar’s wife Santosh Shailja died due to complications related to the coronavirus in the early hours of Tuesday.

Shailja, 83, was undergoing treatment at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Kangra’s Tanda. She was admitted to the facility after testing positive for COVID-19 a few days ago.

Former chief minister Kumar and five of his family members tested positive for the coronavirus last week. — PTI