30 Covid-positive specially-abled residents of Mankhurd facility admitted to Sion hospital, BKC Covid centre

Thirty specially-abled residents, including four children at the Mankhurd Mentally Deficient Children’s Home (MDCH), who tested positive for Covid-19, were shifted

Thirty specially-abled residents, including four children at the Mankhurd Mentally Deficient Children’s Home (MDCH), who tested positive for Covid-19, were shifted to Sion hospital and Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) Covid centre on Sunday.

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Prerna Deshbhratar, commissioner for persons with disabilities, Maharashtra, confirmed the development to HT.

On Saturday, 29 residents of the Mankhurd MDCH tested positive for Covid. On Sunday, one more child’s report came positive.

“Three high-risk patients who have comorbidities have been shifted to Sion hospital. The remaining patients who have mild symptoms were taken to the BKC Covid care centre on Sunday,” said Vikrant Gondane, in-charge designated at the facility by the commissionerate for persons with disabilities.

Mankhurd MDCH, which is run by the NGO Children Aid Society with funding from the state, houses 268 individuals with mental disabilities up to 70 years of age. Since 2012, only specially-abled children below 18 years are allowed admission.

Doctors at the facility say it is difficult for them to ensure that the inmates follow social distancing norms and hygiene. Facility authorities have requested Mumbai Police to provide personnel to chaperone patients, to ensure that they follow social safety norms and are taken care of sensitively, Gondane said.

“We have also decided to send all our staff, including doctors, nurses, and guards at the children’s home for rapid antigen testing,” he added.

Authorities suspect that the residents may have been infected by some of the staff. Those working at the children’s home live in the same quarters as staff from another child care institute at Mankhurd, which recently reported three cases of Covid-19.

Shiv Sena member of Parliament Rahul Shewale on Sunday said that two weeks ago, the administration of the Mankhurd children’s home had complained to the assistant municipal commissioner about some of the children suffering from cough. A fever camp was organised at the facility during which 268 children were screened, and 84 were found with Covid symptoms. After testing the residents, 30 of them were found positive for the coronavirus.

Two of the infected children have tuberculosis (TB) and are undergoing treatment at Sion Hospital. The rest have been admitted to BKC’s Covid centre, Shewale said.

“Spread of the coronavirus at the children’s home is a serious incident. I have asked the administration to carry out an inquiry on how the kids got infected and who is responsible for the serious lapse,” he added.

The campus has been sanitised and sealed to prevent the spread of the virus to other children, the MP said.