Denied admission by hospitals, Covid-19 patient dies in Thane

A 51-year-old woman from Lokmanya Nagar, Thane, died on Thursday after she was allegedly denied treatment by four private hospitals designated for Covid-19 treatment and the civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa.

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) said it will conduct a probe. “We are not aware of this incident, but will appoint an official to enquire about it. Despite repeated warnings, hospitals have been refusing to admit patients, which is a punishable act. We will take action to ensure that such acts are not repeated,” said Vishwanath Kelkar, deputy municipal commissioner, TMC.

The woman’s 22-year-old son said they rushed her to a private hospital near their house at

Indira Nagar after she developed difficulties in breathing on Wednesday. “The hospital didn’t admit her stating they didn’t have enough ventilators. Three other private hospitals, too, refused to admit her on various grounds. We then took her to the Kalwa hospital, where she was given oxygen and discharged,” the son said. According to the son, the Tmc-run hospital had informed them that ventilators are reserved for emergencies.

“She found it difficult to breath the next morning too. So we again took her to Kalwa hospital. My mother was made to wait for a long time as the hospital was crowded. Later, they did a Covid-19 test. She passed away a while after she was admitted and her result came positive in the evening,” the son said. The family has now been tested for Covid and they are awaiting their results.