TALCHER: Tension ran high at the MCL Central Hospital here after a Covid-19 patient went missing hours before he was to be discharged, on Wednesday.
Colliery IIC S Rout said the 70-year-old man, after testing positive, was admitted to the hospital on September 30. When his family members arrived at the hospital to take him home, he was not found in the ward where he was admitted. This enraged the family of the patient who along with a few locals locked the main gate of the hospital. They called off the agitation after police officials assured them to look into the matter.
Talcher Sub-Collector RK Swain said an intensive search operation has been launched to trace the man. Angul SP Jagmohan Meena said a missing report has been filed with Colliery police station. The patient was admitted to the 150-bed Covid hospital, which is functioning from the MCL Central Hospital premises.