Dr. Orina Raha's family members, house help test COVID positive; "Cachar's situation critical" Administration

On July 1, 2020, Dr. Orina Raha tested COVID positive. The next day, her driver also found carrying the infection. Today five others who were in direct contact with her tested COVID positive raising concerns of the district administration.

Today, the officials in Silchar Medical College and Hospital informed that five new individuals tested positive so far in Cachar. All of them happened to be relatives or people who came in direct contact with the doctor. They are 71-year-old, Mira Raha, 14-year-old, Grace Sudhir, 10-year-old Pearl Sudhir, 46-year-old, Sudhir Radha Krishnan and Gita Kurmi, 26-year-old.

Kurmi works at Dr. Orina Raha’s residence as house help and she is symptomatic.

All of them are residents of the Pratisurti Apartment near GC College in Silchar. “The administration had already announced that the flat in which Dr. Ornia Raha resides will be a containment zone. But now we are contemplating if the entire apartment should be declared as a containment zone,” said Suman Choudhury, Media Expert – Health, Cachar District Administration.

He added that the situation in Cachar is getting critical as several COVID positive patients do not have travel history, “In such a situation it is very important for the general public to behave responsibly. We have come to know that several carrom competitions take place during the lockdown and curfew hours. Those are risky, you don’t know who might turn out to be positive among them,” added Choudhury.

The officials in the administration have requested doctors and medical officials to also behave responsibly. If sources are to be believed then, Dr. Orina Raha’s case is far more complex what it looked. She has treated more than 50 patients and recently attended a patient in the operation theatre of a Private Nursing Home. The administration is burning its midnight oil to trace the contacts of the patients and some are living in Hailakandi and Karimganj too.

Apart from Dr. Orina Raha, another COVID19 positive case that is worrying the administration is of Supriti Paul the 71-year-old resident of Rongpur Daspara area. Her family members have also tested positive and some of them were employed at a hardware store in Janiganj. Paul does not have a travel history and the administration is still trying to trace people who might have come in contact with the family.

“We appeal to the public, if you have come in contact of Supriti Paul’s family or Dr. Orina Raha, you must immediately contact the officials in the health department and we will collect their swab samples and test it on priority,” urged Suman Choudhury.

The administration pleaded for cooperation time and again.