Mumbai: Covid-positive man dies in Virar, but BMC's data reflects zero deaths

Residents of Vasai-Virar get tested for COVID. Pic/Hanif Patel

Even as a 25-year-old died of COVID-19 in Virar on Tuesday and the doctors at Rural Hospital alerted the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), its official data reported no deaths on Tuesday.

mid-day has accessed the death report of the youth who was brought dead to the hospital on March 9 at 11:30 pm. The doctors suspected some foul play and alerted police to conduct a panchnama so that a post-mortem can be done.

"Before conducting the post-mortem, the doctors preferred knowing the COVID status. A rapid antigen test revealed that the youth, a Virar East resident, was COVID positive," said a source at the Rural Hospital.

"The municipal corporation was alerted by 2 pm on March 10 regarding the death of one COVID patient in Virar area but its official data says no deaths on Wednesday. Medical professionals have been working round the clock to fight the pandemic but the civic body seems to be negligent of our report. The family members and high-risk contacts of the youth who succumbed to COVID-19 must be isolated to combat the spread," the source added.

A doctor told mid-day that the youth had visited Sir JJ Hospital in Mumbai to treat his fever and cough. "The doctors at JJ hospital had also recommended him to get an X-Ray. He had returned home after consulting JJ Hospital doctors in the OPD. But his health deteriorated on March 9 night. He was rushed to the Rural Hospital but died before reaching here," said another source from the hospital.

After the report came positive, the body was handed over to the municipal corporation to conduct his last rights. Calls and messages to the public relations officer of VVCMC went unanswered.