FAMILY DIDN’T CONTACT HELPLINE: BMC
Any symptomatic
or suspected Covid patient walking into any BMC hospital shall be treated either at the suspected patient area or may be transferred in ambulance to a Covid jumbo facility.
Private hospitals
can’t deny admission to walk-in patients who are highly symptomatic either positive or suspected
Helpline in case you show symptoms
BMC hospitals carry out Covid tests whereas in pvt hospitals, the charges are capped at
1916 for free, ₹2,500-₹2,800
Sion hospital,” alleged Anil.
Anil said his wife was scared to get into the ambulance. “My son and I held her hand throughout the ride and kept cheering her up. We were trying to divert her attention, but as we reached Chembur, the oxygen cylinder stopped working. We told the driver to rush her to the hospital,” he said.
After reaching Sion hospital, Bhelekar died while she was being shifted from the stretcher to the hospital bed. The hospital staff declared her dead around 10pm on Monday. Anil said, “We are still in shock. We have lost everything.”
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner (health), said, “It is very unfortunate that the patient had to move from one hospital to another. To avoid this, we have advertised calling our control room 1916 or ward war room where the staff guides the callers to testing, admission and treatment. Prima facie, we were informed that the family did not contact our control rooms. We are trying our best to streamline the process for proper guidance and quicker response which is just a call away. I have
Suresh Kakani,
additional municipal commissioner (health), said, “It is very unfortunate that the patient had to move from one hospital to another. To avoid this, we have advertised calling our control room 1916 or ward war room where the staff guides the callers to testing, admission and treatment. Prima facie, we were informed that the family did not contact our control rooms. We are trying our best to streamline the process for proper guidance and quicker response which is just a call away. I have directed officials to make a detailed report and will set up an inquiry if needed.”
directed officials to make a detailed report and will set up an inquiry into the matter if needed.”
Bhelekar’s family said the body was handed over to them without conducting Covid test. They cremated her at Sion. The patient’s son has developed Covid symptoms and is awaiting test results at a quarantine facility.
The protocol states that any symptomatic or suspected Covid patient directly walking in to any BMC hospital shall be treated either at the suspected patient area of the hospital or may be transferred in ambulance to the nearest jumbo Covid facility, depending upon the condition of the patient.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said, “Why is BMC not issuing notices to the Covid care facility and the other two hospitals that denied admission? Should we let a patient die if he has not tested for Covid, but is showing strong symptoms? The BMC is fully responsible for the death and I demand that they should initiate an inquiry into the matter. Also, the municipal commissioner should publicly apologize for the negligence.”