Bodies of six COVID-19 patients untraceable? BMC denies report

Probe into a "missing" body from Rajawadi hospital is still on, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)
For representational purposes (Express Illustrations)

MUMBAI: The Mumbai civic body on Tuesday dismissed reports of six bodies of COVID-19 patients having gone missing from various hospitals run by it so far, saying relatives of five of the deceased have been informed or action taken as per protocol with the help of police.

Probe into a "missing" body from Rajawadi hospital is still on, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Separately, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has ordered a probe into incidents of two coronavirus positive patients going missing from civic-run Shatabdi and Rajawadi hospitals.

An 80-year-old patient had recently gone mission from Shatabdi hospital in suburban Kandivali.

His body was found lying near Borivali railway station, less than one km away from the hospital, on Monday night.

A COVID-19 patient has also gone missing from Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar and remains untraced.

Pednekar, who visited Shatabdi hospital, said several incidents of COVID-19 patients running away from hospitals have come to fore recently.

She directed the BMC administration to probe the missing incidents reported from Shatabdi and Rajawadi hospitals, an official release said.

Pednekar also asked doctors concerned to check CCTV footage at Shatabdi hospital and take necessary precautions to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.

Prima facie, security guards of a private company have been held responsible for the Shatabdi hospital incident, it said.

In another release, the BMC dismissed reports that six bodies of COVID-19 patients have gone missing so far from civic-run hospitals like KEM, Sion, Trauma Care, Nair, Shatabdi and Rajawadi in Mumbai.

"In five such incidents, deceased have been identified and their relatives have been informed or necessary action was taken as per protocol with the help of police," the release said.

These incidents happened mainly due to delay on part of relatives in claiming the bodies or they remaining unreachable, it stated.

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