26 deaths reported in COVID-19 quarantine centres of C’garh

Raipur: At least 26 persons have died so far in quarantine centres set up in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chhattisgarh, due to various reasons including suicide, the state Assembly was informed on Wednesday.

In written replies to questions raised by senior BJP MLAs Brijmohan Agrawal and Shivratan Sharma, state Health Minister T S Singh Deo said 22,375 quarantine centres were set up in the state till August 3 (since March) and over Rs 100 crore had been spent so far on these facilities.

“As many as 26 people have died due to various reasons in these quarantine facilities in different districts during this period,” he said.

Of these, six persons had committed suicide, six died due to heart attack, four of snake bite and one was electrocuted, the minister stated in his reply.

Apart from this, an infant choked to death while breastfeeding at a quarantine centre, while other casualties were due to health-related complications, it said.

Of the 26 deaths, six were reported from Rajnandgaon district, four from Balodabazar, two each from Gariaband, Mungeli and Janjgir-Champa districts, while one each was recorded in Balod, Bemetara, Jashpur, Kabirdham, Kondagaon, Korba, Mahasamund, Surguja, Raigarh and Bilaspur districts, it was stated.