Woman under quarantine in Hailakandi commits suicide; swab result tests negative

July 13: A woman who was under quarantine at a school in South Assam’s Hailakandi district committed suicide in the wee hours on Sunday. The woman named Sarbin Taj, 37, was found hanging from a noose at a bathroom at an LP School quarantine centre at around 4 am on Sunday.

The woman along with her husband Abul Hussain Laskar and her son aged eight arrived here from Bengaluru by flight on June 28. On reaching the Inbound Passenger Facilitation Centre at Dholeswari, their swab samples were collected and they were put under quarantine at a school at Nichintapur Part II under Lala Police Station.
Swab samples of the three-member family were sent to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. While the swab result of Laskar tested negative, Sarbin and her son’s swab could not be examined because of deficiency in quantity.

Joint Director, Health Services, Dr.A Barman disclosed that several swab tests could not be conducted at GMC&H due to deficiency in quantity. Attributing the reason, Dr.Barman said the swab samples collected might have been displaced on the way to Guwahati, a distance of over 400 km from Hailakandi.

Health personnel accompanied by magistrate and police rushed to the site of the incident and they conducted a rapid antigen test after collecting the swab of the deceased woman. Dr.Barman said though the swab result of the deceased woman tested negative, they have sent the swab to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for RTPCR test on Sunday.

An inquest was conducted and the body was sent to SK Roy Civil Hospital for post-mortem. Sub Inspector, Abdul Aziz, Incharge of Hospital Police Outpost, revealed that after the autopsy was conducted, the body has been kept at the morgue. The body will be handed over to the husband soon, he added. Investigation is on.