Delhi CM lauds LNJP doctor who died fighting COVID-19

The 52-year-old doctor served in the front line of the war against the pandemic at the government facility and died of novel coronavirus infection in an ICU of a private hospital on Sunday. "Dr. Aseem Gupta, a senior doctor of LNJP Hospital succumbed to Covid day. He was known for going out of his way to serve his patients. We have lost a very valuable fighter. Delhi salutes his spirit and sacrifice...," Kejriwal tweeted. The chief minister also said in his tweet that he has spoken to Dr. Gupta's wife and "offered my condolences and support".

 LNJP Hospital is a dedicated COVID-19 facility under the Delhi government. It recently completed 100 days of being declared a coronavirus facility. "LNJP Hospital has displayed great fortitude in the face of acute challenges. Its recovery rate is going up, the death rate is reducing, ICU capacity is being ramped up - the hospital is saving so many lives," the chief minister said.

A condolence meeting to pay respect to Dr. Gupta has been scheduled at 1 pm in the office of the Medical Director of the hospital, a senior official said. The doctor, a consultant anaesthesiologist died at the Max hospital, Saket in south Delhi, a private dedicated COVID-19 facility.

"He was a front line anesthesia specialist who contracted COVID-19 infection while on duty. He tested positive on June 6, when he had mild symptoms and was shifted to a quarantine facility. His symptoms aggravated on June 7 and he was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of the LNJP Hospital," the LNJP Hospital said in a statement on Sunday. He was shifted to Max Hospital, Saket on June 8 on his request, it said. The doctor was battling the disease for the last two weeks at Max Hospital, where he succumbed to the illness on Sunday, the statement said.

He was Specialist, Grade I, in the Department of Anaesthesia at the LNJP Hospital, the statement said. Several hundreds of healthcare workers have been infected with COVID-19 to date in Delhi.