- Amritsar, August 30, 2020: The Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu today attended the cremation of Dr. Arun Sharma SMO Incharge Civil Hospital Amritsar, who was suffering from COVID-19 and breathed his last this morning at Hospital in Amritsar.Expressing deep shock over sudden demise of Dr. Sharma, Mr Sidhu said that he was one of brilliant and diligent officers of the health department who was just 53-year-old.He was enthusiastically battling against the COVID-19 in the front line since March and passionately performing their duty round the clock in District Hospital Amritsar. He would always be remembered as a true Corona Warrior for his services.Mr. Sidhu said that he was a cardiac patient. Later he was shifted to Hospital in Amritsar. He was on NIV but was not tolerating it and developed ICU Psychosis. He was put on a ventilator. Intensivist from PGI was guiding his clinical management and the state was preparing for him to be airlifted to PGI or Medanta Hospital.He was maintaining saturation of 88%. Today morning he had cardiac arrest and passed away. He was survived by his wife, daughter and son.Mr. Sidhu has extended his deepest sympathies to the bereaved family of Dr. Arun Sharma. He said that this loss is not just for the family but also for the State Health department.Notably, Dr. Arun Sharma had done MD Transfusion from Medical College Amritsar and remained SMO at CHC Fatehgarh Churian. As a Blood Transfusion Officer, he also played a key role to establish Blood Bank Amritsar.