24 hours after releasing senior citizen COVID-19 patient saying she has tested negative, BMC officials whisk her away from home saying her test was positive, leaving her neighbours a worried lot now.
The A wing of Kandivli building has been sealed for a second time this month
The BMC will have many answers to give for discharging a 68-year-old Kandivli resident, saying she is healthy after spending 14 days in quarantine and then rushing to get her back to the hospital less than a day later, claiming she is still positive. The blunder has created panic among neighbours who welcomed the woman home on Tuesday. Residents of the housing society in Mahavirnagar, Kandivli West, are naturally taken aback and have slammed the civic body for its carelessness
that has resulted in a second round of sealing.
On April 6, all six wings of the society were sealed after a 72-year-old patient, staying on the 3rd floor of the A wing, tested positive for COVID-19. A couple of days later, the patient's wife and 45-year-old daughter-in-law tested positive and were taken to the Trauma hospital for the treatment.
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BMC and Mumbai Fire Brigade sanitise an area near Poisar depot in Kandivli West. Pic/Rane Ashish
After 14 days in quarantine, the daughter-in-law, came home on Monday as she had tested negative. On Tuesday night, the 68-year-old wife also returned home after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that her second COVID-19 report is negative while her 72-year-old husband continued to stay in the hospital in a stable condition.
The Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackerey Trauma Care Municipal Hospital, also known as Trauma hospital, stamped and signed her discharge papers.
The residents of the society heaved a sigh of relief and gave the woman a warm welcome. However, their happiness soon turned to anxiety as BMC officials visited less than 24 hours later and took the 68-year-old woman away, admitted their mistake in having said that her reports were negative. The A Wing has been sealed for the second time in a month.
"The entire society had to suffer for 14 days. How many more days will we have to suffer now because of the government's carelessness?" said a 55-year old resident. "The BMC has sealed the entire A wing, the lift and the staircase. What if there is an emergency?"
Another woman staying in A wing said, "Initially, we thought that her son made a blunder and forced the hospital to discharge her. But when the BMC visited the building today, the son showed her discharge papers. How can the hospital release a patient without verifying her reports? It has put the lives of several residents at risk."
The wing has been sealed for another 14 days. Residents said that soon after the patients were discharged, they had asked the ward to lift the restrictions on the building. "We have to suffer for no fault of ours. The BMC is answerable for this," another resident added.
Sanjay Kurhade, the assistant municipal commissioner of R South ward, remained unavailable for comment.
06 Day this month when the building was first sealed
24 No. of hours within which BMC returned to take woman back
Tuesday Day when the woman came home
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