Indian-origin father-daughter doctor duo die of COVID-19 in US
New York: An Indian-American father and daughter, both doctors in New Jersey, have died due to the COVID-19, with Governor Phil Murphy describing their demise as particularly tough" and hailed them for dedicating their lives for others.
Satyender Dev Khanna, 78, was a surgeon who served both on staff and as the head of the surgical departments for multiple hospitals across New Jersey for decades.
Priya Khanna, 43, was a double board certified in both internal medicine and nephrology. She was Chief of Residents at Union Hospital, now part of RWJ Barnabas Health.
"Dr. Satyender Dev Khanna and Dr. Priya Khanna were father and daughter. They both dedicated their lives to helping others. This is a family dedicated to health and medicine. Our words cannot amply express our condolences," New Jersey Governor Murphy tweeted on Thursday.
Both dedicated their lives to helping others and we lost both of them to COVID-19, Murphy said during a press conference on Thursday, saying their demise is a "particularly tough one.
Satyender passed away at the Clara Maass Medical Center where he had worked for more than 35 years.
Murphy described him as a "pioneering doctor who was one of the first surgeons to perform laparoscopic surgery in the state. He is being remembered by colleagues as a gentle and caring physician."
And for a doctor, I'm not one, but I would bet, I don't think there could be a more fitting way to be remembered, or a nurse or a healthcare worker of any kind, Murphy said, adding that the doctor had a passion for bicycling, and he often found peace from the hustle of the hospital in biking along the Jersey Shore.
Priya did all of her medical training in New Jersey and then did her fellowship in nephrology in South Jersey with the Cooper Health System.
Like her father, she too worked at Clara Maass, where she died.
She was also Medical Director at two dialysis centers in Essex County and took pride in teaching the next generation of doctors, Murphy said, adding that the ICU physician who cared for Priya Khanna was trained and taught by her as well.
Priya will be remembered as a caring and selfless person who put others first. And even while in the hospital, fighting her own battle, she continued to check up on her mom and dad and her family, Murphy said.
This is a family, by the way, dedicated to health and medicine, he said.
The governor spoke with Satyender's wife Komlish Khanna, who is a pediatrician. The couple has two more daughters - Sugandha Khanna, an emergency medicine physician and Anisha Khanna, a pediatrician.
Unbelievable. Our words cannot amply express our condolences nor, I am sure, can they express the pain that the Khanna family is feeling. But I hope that the fact that our entire state mourns with them is some small comfort. And we mourn everyone we have lost. We commit in their memory to saving as many lives as we can, Murphy said.
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Rajnath questions Pakistan's ability to handle nuclear weapons
Srinagar (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday questioned the safety of nuclear weapons in the hands of Pakistan, and said they should be taken under monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Interacting with troops here in his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since Operation Sindoor, he said the operation has made it clear to terror outfits and their masters in Pakistan that they should not consider themselves safe anywhere.
"I want to raise question before whole world: are nuclear weapons safe in hands of Pakistan, a rogue and irresponsible nation," he said.
Pakistan's nuclear weapons should be taken under monitoring of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he demanded.
IAEA is a global nuclear watchdog.
The defence minister is on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of the overall security situation, especially along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border.
Top military officials will brief the defence minister on various aspects of the prevailing security situation, officials said.
The defence minister will review the overall situation as well as combat readiness of the frontline troops at the Indian Army's XV Corps in Srinagar.
India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure early on May 7 following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.
The Pakistani actions were strongly responded to by the Indian side. The Indian military targeted eight Pakistani air bases with missiles and other long-range weapons on May 10 in retaliation for Pakistan's attempts to strikes 26 military facilities.
The hostilities ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions following talks between the Director Generals of Military Operations of both sides on the afternoon of May 10.
