SHILLONG: For Business Development Manager of Bethany Hospital and resident of RR Colony, Sukanta Chakraborty, the warm welcome given by residents of RR Colony to the staff of the hospital should be an example for all in Meghalaya.
“It was very heart-touching, the way they greeted us is very warming after we came out after 21-22 days under quarantine to the locality. The people from the entrance of the locality till the end point were standing and appreciating by clapping hands and showering us with petals”, he said adding that tears also welled up in his eyes to see the love of the people.
Commenting on the demise of Dr John Sailo Ryntathiang, he said that though there were COVID cases in the country but the news that late Sailo was infected with the disease was a shock for them.
He said, “It was shocking to us as we did not know where he contracted the disease. We prayed for his recovery. He is a good fighter and that he will recover but we were wrong. It was even more shocking when he passed away…….it was something we could not accept. Words cannot express our sadness. We will miss him. He is a fatherly figure to all and you hardly find directors like him, he was very close with us”.
He said that a man as good as Dr Sailo can hardly be found, he recalled that Sailo was a gentle and noble person who had looked after many families. He also said that Sailo built the hospital with his own efforts.
Chakraborty has been working there for 17 years.
He was quarantined at Landmark Hotel. “Initially, we were quarantined in the hospital and after that, we came out after locking all the doors, front gate and other areas and on April 19, we were shifted to the hotel”, he said. ( Chakraborty will be under home quarantine till May 12.
Asked as to when will Bethany Hospital reopen, he said that the hospital will likely open at the end of May but it all depends on the government.
“We are planning to open by end of May but it depends on the government as to when they will start the sanitisation process. Also, everybody has to come out of quarantine as there are others under quarantine”, he said.