A 57-year-old head constable attached with the Kurla traffic division, who was denied admission by four civic hospitals on April 21 despite having symptoms of coronavirus, has been tested positive for the virus on Friday and is at undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) of King Edward Memorial Hospital, Parel. A senior Mumbai Police officer has confirmed the development to HT.
After the incident came to light, HT contacted Dr Daksha Shah, deputy heath officer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on the issue. She said, “His condition is stable. KEM Hospital dean will speak to his family to know more about the matter.”
Meanwhile, a 35-year-old constable, also attached with the Kurla traffic division, has been infected with the virus, and has been admitted to Kaushalya Hospital in Thane. It is suspected that the 35-year-old contracted coronavirus from the head constable. The families of both the personnel have been quarantined, even as the authorities are tracing their close contacts.
On April 20, the head constable, who lives in Kurla’s Kamani area, had developed fever. After consulting a physician, his son rushed him to Rajawadi Hospital the next day around 2pm.
“My father had developed fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. The doctors at Rajawadi Hospital checked his temperature and conducted preliminary analysis, after which they recommended to keep him in isolation at home. But when I asked the authorities to admit him to the hospital’s isolation centre, they claimed there was no bed available and asked us to take him to Kasturba Hospital,” the head constable’s 25-year-old son told HT.
{{/usCountry}}“My father had developed fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. The doctors at Rajawadi Hospital checked his temperature and conducted preliminary analysis, after which they recommended to keep him in isolation at home. But when I asked the authorities to admit him to the hospital’s isolation centre, they claimed there was no bed available and asked us to take him to Kasturba Hospital,” the head constable’s 25-year-old son told HT.
{{/usCountry}}He then rushed his father on his motorcycle to Kasturba Hospital. “Doctors there checked his temperature and gave him some oxygen. They said they do not have enough beds available and asked me to take him to Nair Hospital. They did not even bother to take my father’s swab for testing,” the 25-year-old alleged.
At Nair Hospital, too, the authorities denied the constable admission stating that they had no beds available and that they do not test patients. “On the recommendation of Nair Hospital, I then took my father to KEM Hospital, where doctors initially refused to admit him. Then I contacted the police, following which some officers requested civic officials to admit him. My father was finally admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) at 11pm,” the constable’s son said.
“My father has given 28 years to the police service. If anything goes wrong, the doctors are responsible,” the youth said.
Another traffic cop tested positive
A traffic constable attached with the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) traffic division has been admitted to Podar Hospital in Worli, after he was tested positive for Covid-19. The constable is suspected to have contracted the virus during the bandobast duty at the BKC ground where a vegetable market has been opened for locals, as all the other markets in the area are closed. The constable’s family has been quarantined and his close contacts are being traced.