E-Paper
Test report mix-up: Recovered patient told to quarantine
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) on Friday asked a 35-year-old man, who had recovered from Covid-19 two months ago, to shift to a quarantine centre as their
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) on Friday asked a 35-year-old man, who had recovered from Covid-19 two months ago, to shift to a quarantine centre as their records showed him to be positive. TMC called the person several times before reaching his house, despite the person’s claims that he is negative. The corporation later admitted that there was a mix-up in the names and left.
The civic body also sanitised the entire building considering him to be positive.
The man, Mayur Date, has claimed this has led to lot of mental harassment as his neighbours believed he was infected again. A resident of Vartak Nagar, Date had tested positive for Covid-19 two months ago and was treated for the same, first at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, then at Thane civil hospital and later he was kept in quarantine in Horizon School. He returned home on May 23.
Date said, “On Friday morning, I got a call from TMC telling me that I have tested positive for Covid-19. I thought someone is playing a prank on me as I had not even given a swab sample and ignored the call. Later, I also received a call from Vartak Nagar police station saying the same thing. This scared me and I kept my previous reports ready to show the authorities.”
He also approached local politicians to get their help. “The corporation also sanitised my building due to which the residents assumed I have tested positive again. When the employees came home, I showed them all my reports and told them that I had not opted for the test.”
Civic officials claimed the mix-up might be the result of similar names. Sandeep Malvi, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “The confusion must be over two similar names. However, we will conduct an inquiry as to why a negative patient was harassed and ensure such things do not happen again.”
