Four Covid-19 patients who tried to flee Thane were detained moments before they attempted to board a flight to Lucknow on Thursday, due to the efforts of an alert civic official.
Kausa’s health officer Hemangi Ghode tracked the family with the help of police and airport authorities, despite the family trying to mislead her, said RT Kendre, officer on special Covid-19 duty.
The four are family members of a 54-year-old resident of Kausa in Mumbra who was tested positive for the virus last month. The man died on June 25, after which his 50-year-old wife and three sons – aged 27, 25 and 23 years – were also tested positive for the virus on July 1.
“On July 2, I made a phone call to the family, asking them which hospital would they like getting admitted to. They named a facility in Andheri, so I got suspicious and decided to keep a track on them,” Ghode said.
The family told Ghode that they are leaving home by 9am for the hospital. “Accordingly, I sent a team to check on them. At 11am, the team found their door locked. When I called the Andheri hospital to inquire if the family had been admitted, the authorities there said they had no information about them. Around 11.45am, when I called one of sons, he did not answer. So I asked the surveillance officer to inquire in the nearby areas and also alerted the police as well as the railway and airport authorities. Following this, the airport authority surveillance team traced the family through the Arogya Setu app when they were boarding the flight and alerted TMC,” Ghode said.
{{/usCountry}}The family told Ghode that they are leaving home by 9am for the hospital. “Accordingly, I sent a team to check on them. At 11am, the team found their door locked. When I called the Andheri hospital to inquire if the family had been admitted, the authorities there said they had no information about them. Around 11.45am, when I called one of sons, he did not answer. So I asked the surveillance officer to inquire in the nearby areas and also alerted the police as well as the railway and airport authorities. Following this, the airport authority surveillance team traced the family through the Arogya Setu app when they were boarding the flight and alerted TMC,” Ghode said.
{{/usCountry}}Ghode then informed the Mumbra police, following which the family was brought back and admitted to a private Covid hospital in Thane.
“If they would have boarded the flight, several more people would have being infected,” she said.
Senior inspector M Kad from Mumbra police station, said, “We have not registered a case against the family yet but will take action after their recovery.”
When HT contacted the mother and youngest son, they refused to comment.