Mumbai: A head constable of Mumbai Police posted at Dahisar police station has died of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), but tested positive after his death, in a similar manner of one of his colleagues, who had passed away on May 26.
So far, Covid-19 related death toll in Mumbai Police stands at 20.
Hanif Mujawar, a senior police inspector of Dahisar police station, said that aggressive testing would be conducted to prevent more deaths in Mumbai Police.
The head constable (54), a diabetic, lived at MHB Colony in Mumbai’s Borivali (West) with his wife and a son (14).
On May 27, he went on leave after suffering from a fever. However, his family physician, who treated him, didn’t prescribe any Covid-19 test.
“On June 1, his health condition worsened after he complained of difficulty in breathing and was in need of oxygen. He was admitted to Karuna Hospital in Borivali (West), where he passed away on Thursday morning. He was suffering from pneumonia. His test results on Thursday evening proved Covid-19 positive hours after his death,” said Mujawar.
“Though he had diabetes, his blood sugar level was under control and was regularly attending to his duty even though Mumbai Police personnel above 50 years and with a pre-existing health condition was told to go on leave due to the pandemic,” Mujawar added.
The deceased head constable’s wife has blamed his superiors for the unnecessary delay in sanctioning the sick leave of her husband.
“My husband wanted to go on leave from May 20, as he was unwell. But Dahisar police station authorities delayed in granting him sick leave. The officer to whom he reported didn’t show any interest in his health condition. Besides, the police inspector, who is the in-charge of sanctioning leaves, was unaware of my husband’s sickness. Finally, he was granted sick leave on May 27,” she alleged.
“A miscommunication led to a one-week delay in granting his sick leave. He was suffering from fever and cough by May 27. Our family physician gave him some medicines. But his condition worsened on June 1, as he had difficulty in breathing and needed oxygen, when we decided to admit him to a hospital. To make matters worse, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Commission (BMC) authorities refused to test him for Covid-19,” she further alleged.
On May 26, another head constable (53) of Dahisar police station had died and was found to be Covid-19 positive a day after he had passed away at JJ Hospital.
The head constable had died of respiratory ailments even though he did not have any health issues.
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