Covid-19 patient in Chandigarh escapes to UP on bike

The patient accompanied by a relative covered a distance of 800km; health authorities in UP have been alerted

UT health authorities were left scrambling on Tuesday after a Covid-19 patient escaped on his bike and travelled 800km to reach his village in Uttar Pradesh.

The 34-year-old man, who is a resident of Sector 56, was tested for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Monday and his tests came out positive on Tuesday evening. (Representative Image /HT)

The 34-year-old man, who is a resident of Sector 56, was tested for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Monday and his tests came out positive on Tuesday evening.

A senior UT health official said that the patient was sent home and told to self isolate till the tests results were out. However, the man travelled to his native village, Purenewali, in Partapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh (UP), instead.

The UT health department’s contact tracing report reveals that the health authorities learnt of the breech when they went to the patient’s house after his report came out positive.

Officials later learnt that the patient had gone to UP on a bike with a relative, who is also a resident of Sector-52.

“The patient’s report has been shared with Dr Abhishek, who is posted at the Community health center in Sangipur, and with the state- surveillance unit(SSU) in UP for follow up and necessary action. Station house officer (SHO) Amanjot Singh has been apprised of the situation,” the report says.

An official, on condition of anonymity, said, “It is surprising that the patient was permitted to go home and quarantine himself.”

“The doctors at the Mohali civil hospital should not have allowed the patient to go home in the first place. They also failed to inform the health and quarantine authorities in Chandigarh,” said the senior health official.

“The patient committed a criminal act by violating the lockdowns imposed in Chandigarh, Punjab , Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, jeopardising the lives of many people along the way,” the UT official said, adding that the patient in question had probably anticipated a positive test result.

PROTOCOL FOLLOWED, SAYS CIVIL SURGEON

Mohali civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said, “It is our protocol that whenever we collect a sample, we ask the patient to quarantine themselves at home. In case the report comes positive the patients are shifted to Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur.”