Patient flees from Covid hosp, found dead along a creek
DOMBIVLI : A 53-year-old patient, who ran away from the Savlaram Sports Complex Covid hospital in Dombivli on Thursday morning, was found dead along the Dombivli creek the same evening. The patient had earlier been treated for Covid-19 and discharged from the hospital after testing negative. However, he was re-admitted after he suffered from breathlessness on July 29.
Manpada police had filed a missing person’s report, which was later revised to a suicide case at Vishnu Nagar police station.
The Kalyan-dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) informed that the deceased, a resident of Motagaon Thakurli, had been admitted to the hospital the first time on July 20 and was discharged on July 27. He was re-admitted on July 29.
“The deceased suffered from breathlessness after being discharged and was re-admitted on Wednesday. On Thursday around 7am, he called his friend and left the hospital. He left the phone behind,” said an officer from Manpada police station.
When the family called the hospital, staffers were clueless as to the patient’s whereabouts. “A missing person’s case was registered, and the family told us that he often visited the creek, which is near his home. We found the body along Dombivli creek and suspect he died by suicide,” said RN Munagekar, senior inspector, Vishninagar police station. KDMC commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi said, “The doctors who were on duty on Thursday realised that he was missing, and his family too was unaware of his whereabouts.”
Epidemic officer of KDMC Pratibha Panpatil said a probe will be started to find out how the patient escaped from the hospital. “Patients admitted to Covid hospitals have uniforms to identify them.”