A 55-year-old police constable attached to the Dharavi police station in central Mumbai battled COVID-19 for over 40 days and finally succumbed to the disease on Saturday night. The constable, Deepak Gaikwad, was a diabetic and also had blood pressure issues, for most of the time while he was admitted in hospital, he was on ventilator support, said an official.
With his death the number of city police personnel who died of coronavirus has reached 38
According to the police, Gaikwad was asked to go on leave after the Mumbai police chief decided to rest police personnel above 55 years. Gaikwad a resident of Mahim police line, quarantined himself after one person from his building tested positive for the virus. Gaikwad started showing symptoms later and tested positive for COVID-19 only on May 15, after which he was immediately shifted to Seven Hills hospital.
Within days of admission his health deteriorated and he was put on ventilator support. After his health improved, his ventilator support was removed, however, his health began to deteriorate further after which was again given ventilator support. He was later shifted to HN Reliance Foundation hospital in Girgaon where he passed on Saturday night around 10.30 pm said an official. Gaikwad is survived by his wife and a son.
