Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Kamala Rani Varun succumbs to COVID-19

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Kamala Rani Varun passed away in Lucknow on Sunday, announced the CM Yogi Adityanath government. The 62-year-old leader died due to novel coronavirus, said reports.

According to reports, she was receiving treatment at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS). She was admitted on July 18 after being detected positive for COVID-19.

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In an official statement issued by the director of SGPGIMS RK Dhiman, the minister had comorbidities in the form of hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypertension, and Mellitus. The statement added, “She had bilateral pneumonia at admission and was shifted to ICU on the day of admission itself because of high oxygen requirement. Later, she required non-invasive ventilation (NIV) with high oxygen requirements.”

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On Saturday, she was put on a medical ventilator. But her condition deteriorated with hypotension and multi-organ dysfunction and succumbed to her illness. The statement said that on evaluation, she had all the features of severe disease. She was given injections of Remdesevir followed by Tocilizumab following which she had transient improvement in her clinical status for a few days. However, her condition started deteriorating with progressively increasing NIV and oxygen requirements. She was also transfused with convalescent plasma and even her steroid doses were hiked.

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After her demise, the council of ministers held a condolence meeting. They even observed a two-minute silence on the occasion. “Her entire life was devoted to social service. She played an important role in strengthening the BJP in the state. My condolences are with her family and supporters in this hour of grief,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

UP CM Adityanath said that Varun was a popular public leader and a social worker. She worked efficiently while being the part of the Cabinet, he added. The cremation rites will take place in Kanpur later in the day.