Former health minister of Goa, Dr Suresh Amonkar, died due to Covid-19 infection on Monday. Dr Amonkar was also the ex-president of the Goa unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Dr Amonkar, 68, was found positive on June 22 and admitted to the state’s dedicated Covid-19 hospital but his condition deteriorated in the following days and he succumbed to the infection on Monday.
“Deeply saddened by the passing away of Dr. Suresh Amonkar, former President of BJP Goa Pradesh and Former Cabinet Minister of Goa Govt. His contribution to the state of Goa is immense and will never be forgotten. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant tweeted.
“Shocked with the unfortunate demise of my close friend, former Health Minister Dr. Suresh Amonkar. I shared a close bonding with him. He lived with sincerity and Honesty in his personal, professional, political & social career. My condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace,” Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat said.
Dr Amonkar was a two-term MLA, being elected to the Goa Assembly in 1999 and 2002, as well as served as minister in the first Manohar Parrikar cabinet in 2000 as a minister of health.
Dr Amonkar was overlooked by the BJP in the 2012 assembly elections with the party choosing to hand the ticket to Pramod Sawant, who is now the chief minister.
His death takes the state’s tally of Covid-19 fatalities to eight on a day when Goa recorded 52 new cases which pushed its total tally up to 1,813.
Condolences poured in as news of Dr Amonkar’s death emerged with politicians current and former cutting across party lines conveying their sympathies.
