Thane mayor seeks probe in mix-up of COVID-19 victims’ bodies

PTI, Jul 9, 2020, 12:05 PM IST

Thane: Thane Mayor Naresh Mhaske on Wednesday, July 8 dashed off a letter to Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma, seeking an inquiry into the recent incident of mix-up of two COVID-19 patients” bodies at a civic hospital, and demanded strong action against the staff involved in it.

On July 3, the body of a 72-year-old COVID-19 victim was handed over to the wrong family by the newly-commissioned Global Hub COVID Hospital, a Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC)-run facility.

However, the family of the septuagenarian patient had filed a complaint with the police stating that he had gone missing from the hospital, where he was shifted for treatment on June 29, officials said.

Investigations later revealed that his body was handed over to the family of another COVID-19 patient from Kopri, who was very much alive at the time.

In the letter, the mayor claimed that he had informed the commissioner about the 72-year-old coronavirus patient going missing from the COVID-19 Hospital and an inquiry had been ordered into it.

“It was later revealed that the missing patient had died and his body was given to the family, which cremated the body considering it to be that of their kin”s. However, the body had been given to the wrong family. Later, the patient belonging to the family that had cremated the previous body, also died, and his body was also handed over to them,” he said in the letter.

“But due to all this, the families of both the deceased had to undergo mental suffering. This incident maligned the image of the TMC and the state. It also brought disrepute to the entire team of doctors, nurses, and officials who have been tirelessly working since the last three months in the fight against COVID-19,” he said.

“This incident is serious and hence a detailed inquiry should be carried out into it and those responsible for the episode should be suspended,” the mayor said in the letter.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the mayor also came hit out at the NCP”s city unit chief Anand Paranjpe, who has said that Shiv Sena leader and district Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde should take stock of the coronavirus situation by stepping ouside.

“Instead of asking the guardian minister to come out to take stock of the situation, Paranjpe himself should step out and see the good work being done by Shinde,” the mayor said.