Mumbai: Family members of 40-year-old police constable Muradali Patel, who died of COVID-19, have alleged that the jumbo COVID-19 care centre at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) did not inform them that his condition was critical. Patel died on Saturday inside an ambulance while he was being shifted to Seven Hills Hospital in Andheri (East).
However, officials at the BKC COVID-19 Care Centre denied these allegations and said that they were in constant touch with the family, and said that the patient was shifted against their medical advice.
Patel sister Sonal Chavhan alleged that her brother was fine before being admitted to BKC centre and had gone on his own to get admitted there. Chavhan used to visit the centre regularly and she along with the rest of the family members were in touch with Patel over phone. “Whenever I asked doctors about my brother’s condition, they only used to say that he was stable and recovering. On morning on Friday, when I went to the centre, time he was not responding. It was then I thought that things were not going well,” she said.
Patel’s wife then approached senior police officials with a request to shift him to another hospital, and later a bed was made available at Seven Hills hospital in Marol.
According to Chavhan, when the hospital insisted for his report before admitting Patel, it was only then the BKC COVID Care Centre sent an email to us. When we checked it stated that his brain has been paralyzed and his lungs have been damaged, added Chavhan.
Dr Rajesh Dere, dean of the BKC COVID-19 Care Centre said, “We were in constant touch with the family members and they were not kept in the dark about the patient’s health. Since the patient’s condition was critical, we advised them not to shift him.”
According to the police officials, Patel tested positive on April 25, and was asked for hospitalization as his oxygen level was between 50-55. The officials at Bandra police first arranged a bed for him at Bhabha hospital where he was taken initially, however, due to unavailability of ICU bed he was taken to COVID Care Centre at BKC.
After his condition started worsening he was put on ICU support on May 1, however, his conditioned continued to remain critical. Patel who used to live in New Police Line at Mahim and is survived by his 39-year-old wife.
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