Muscat: Oman has registered its first death among health workers with the passing of Indian staff nurse Blessy Thomas.
Ms Thomas, who hails from Indian state of Kerala worked at the Sinaw government hospital, taking care of COVID-19 patients, before contracting the disease herself.
She died at the Royal Hospital's intensive care unit after succumbing to the disease.
“With great sadness and sorrow, the Ministry of Health of the Sultanate of Oman mourns the passing away of nurse Blessy Thomas at the Royal Hospital ICU yesterday due to COVID-19," a note from the ministry said.
"This is the first death among health workers in MoH. The deceased was a true hero and a role model of hard and sincere work. The Minister of Health, as well as the MoH personnel and all health workers in Oman express their heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased."
Her husband, Sam George, who lives in Wadi Kabir and works in the capital told Times of Oman that when his wife was assigned to the COVID-19 ward in Sinaw, she knew it would be tough, but did not complain because she knew the importance of fighting for others, and she did so until the very end.
Ms Thomas first experienced flu-like symptoms around August 18, when her condition did not improve, she was tested positive after which she was admitted.
“After that Blessy was admitted to Royal Hospital in the first week of September,” added her husband. “The doctors there gave us regular updates and told her that her lungs had been badly affected by the virus.”
Despite the hospital's best efforts, they were unable to save Blessy, whose two children study in the second and sixth grades in Muscat.
“I have told my children that their mother is not coming back,” said Sam George. “They know she has died of the virus. Over the last few days, I have been taking care of the children, so my friends have been organising all of the paperwork with the various ministries. I now need to go to Sinaw and clear out her flat.”
“I will take the children to India for some time, so that they have a break from all this, but we will definitely come back to Oman,” he added.